An unbiased handwriting analyst employed in July by the Homer Glen Village Board discovered that it’s seemingly Mayor George Yukich signed the Illinois particular occasion liquor license utility earlier than this 12 months’s Homer Fest and that the doc was not solid.
Simply earlier than the annual Homer Fest carnival in June, Yukich alleged somebody signed his initials to a liquor license utility with out his information and permission, and the Will County sheriff’s division was requested to research. A brand new liquor license was obtained and the pageant went on as deliberate.
In July the board hired KDX Forensic Consulting to do a handwriting evaluation on the liquor license utility. Lawyer Cary Horvath launched the outcomes at Wednesday’s Village Board assembly, saying the overview “gives adequate proof to find out that it’s possible that George Yukich did write the questioned George Yukich signature.”
Kevin Kulbacki, the CEO of KDX Forensic Consulting, in contrast the unique utility that was submitted to the Illinois Liquor Management Fee with 50 of Yukich’s signatures randomly chosen. Most of the signatures had been from village ordinances or resolutions, Horvath stated.
The signature on the appliance “was not the product of one other individual’s pure handwriting,” Horvath stated.
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“He reviewed the signatures and located that the appliance in query contained a minimum of 14 important similarities to the signatures on the 50 paperwork it was in comparison with,” Horvath stated. “The signature was freed from any famous characterizations of simulation or forgery. He eradicated forgery.”
Yukich maintains he didn’t signal his initials on the doc and stated he doesn’t belief the report. With sufficient signatures to check it to, there are certain to be similarities, he stated.
“It’s not my signature,” Yukich stated.
A number of trustees expressed outrage and disappointment that the village’s repute was tarnished and village employees and officers put underneath suspicion for the previous couple of months.
“I’m furious,” Trustee Jennifer Consolino stated. “Everyone on this board has each proper to be offended. I’m sorry to our residents. I’m sorry for this board. I’m sorry for our employees.”
Consolino stated she plans to file formal complaints with the Illinois legal professional basic’s workplace and with Will County.
“We gave the mayor the advantage of doubt that it was probably solid, however we additionally knew that it might probably been him that signed it and him that lied,” Consolino stated. “You probably did this to your self. You ruined your village. You ruined your employees. You disgraced us and this board. There’s no different technique to say it.”
Trustee Rose Reynders stated she was involved in regards to the mayor’s well being and reminiscence and was involved in regards to the morale of the employees who had been underneath suspicion.
“We seem like fools,” Reynders stated. “I don’t know if all alongside, George, if it was your intention to throw a monkey wrench into the Homer Fest or cancel Homer Fest by this complete fiasco with the signature. I simply can’t even think about what this did to the residents of this group, the those that we’re imagined to be representing. The place will we go from right here?”
Trustee Ruben Pazmino stated he hoped the mayor would come clear and admit he made a mistake.
“We spent some huge cash getting the outcomes of the signature as a result of we needed to unravel it,” Pazmino advised Yukich.
“I implore you sir, if it was an accident, let it die right here and let’s transfer ahead as a result of I’ll assure you that if it’s not solved in the present day, that is going to go on and it’s not going to get higher,” Pazmino stated. “There’s going to be main repercussions for this.”
Trustee Dan Fialko stated he want to embrace the handwriting analyst investigation within the Will County sheriff’s investigation. The analyst is famend in his subject, Fialko stated.
Fialko stated he was one of many people who was underneath suspicion for signing the doc and stated that it was “very hurtful.”
Trustee Beth Rodgers, an ally of Yukich, stated after the assembly she believes the mayor when he claims the signature just isn’t his. Yukich, who’s in his second time period as mayor, has devoted years to the village and has the most effective pursuits of residents in thoughts, Rodgers stated.
“I belief him,” Rodgers stated. “If he stated it’s not his signature, it’s not his signature.”
The village paid a retainer of $3,200 for the handwriting evaluation.
Kulbacki has greater than 9 years of forensic doc examination on behalf of the federal authorities, regulation enforcement and personal sector purchasers. He’s licensed with the American Board of Forensic Doc Examiners, board paperwork stated.
