LEWIS LACEY & KEITH DOUGLAS FREEMAN INDICTED FOR BANK FRAUD
POLICE CHIEF LEWIS LACEY OF DOLTON, ILLINOIS INDICTED TODAY. SEEN WITH MAYOR TIFFANY HENYARD WHO IS ALSO BEING INVESTIGATED BY THE FBI
BY RUTHIE DITUCCI
Two Dolton, Illinois Officials Indicted for Bankruptcy Fraud: Keith Douglas Freeman and Lewis Lacey (both are Tiffany Henyard’s close friends and all three work for Dolton, Illinois). Both Freeman and Henyard work for the Village of Dolton as well as Thornton Township (so they each receive two salaries).
In a shocking turn of events, two senior officials from Dolton, Illinois, have been indicted on federal bankruptcy fraud charges. Keith Douglas Freeman, a senior administrator for both the Village of Dolton and Thornton Township, and Lewis Lacey, the former Deputy Police Chief of Dolton, are facing serious allegations that have rocked the community.
Keith Douglas Freeman, has been charged with one count of bankruptcy fraud. The indictment alleges that Freeman engaged in a scheme to conceal assets and income from creditors. He is accused of underreporting his income from his roles as Village Administrator for Dolton and Municipality Manager for Thornton Township, as well as fees from his private consulting business. Additionally, he allegedly concealed a claim against him related to $90,396 he received in excess of his authorized salary while serving as Village Administrator for Robbins. Freeman’s arraignment has not yet been scheduled.
Lewis Lacey, AKA Lewis Anthony Lacy, Sr., the former Deputy Police Chief of Dolton, is also facing multiple charges, including bankruptcy fraud, making false statements and declarations in a bankruptcy case, and perjury. Each count carries a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. The indictment alleges that Lacey engaged in a scheme to conceal assets and income from creditors to avoid paying a settlement in a lawsuit. He is accused of underreporting his monthly income and concealing bank accounts he controlled. Lacey has filed several personal bankruptcy petitions since the 1980s, including petitions in 2019 and 2020. These petitions automatically stayed enforcement of a settlement agreement he had reached in 2017, for which he still owed $43,000 of the $55,000 settlement. Lacey allegedly made several materially false and fraudulent representations in oral statements and documents submitted in the bankruptcy cases.
Connections to Mayor Tiffany Henyard:
Both Freeman and Lacey are known to be close associates of Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard. The indictments come at a time when Mayor Henyard has not met with the public since the Dolton Board hired former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who was once a Federal Prosecutor, to oversee Dolton’s missing money and its Mayor. This move has raised questions about the financial management and transparency within the village administration.
Implications:
The indictments of Freeman and Lacey have significant implications for the Dolton community. As best friends and key employees of Mayor Henyard, their legal troubles cast a shadow over the current administration. The community awaits further developments as the legal proceedings unfold.
