A Kane County circuit clerk’s office worker surrendered to police Friday morning on theft and other charges relating to her handling of a traffic ticket.
Kelli D. Brackett, 39, most recently of the 0-99 block of Farnsworth Avenue in Aurora, is accused of stealing an unspecified amount more than $500 between September 2014 and October 2015. Additional charges include forgery, official misconduct and tampering with records.
A $5,000 arrest warrant was issued earlier this week, and she posted $500 bond Friday to be released immediately from the Kane County Jail, according to jail records.
According to charging documents, the case is tied to a seat-belt ticket issued to a Skokie man stopped on Interstate 88 in the early morning hours of Oct. 13, 2014. The charges allege Brackett stole money, forged a court payment record and altered court documents relating to the ticket — although the exact amount of money or what documents were involved isn’t referenced.
Kane County Circuit Clerk Thomas Hartwell offered limited comment due to the ongoing criminal case but did say Brackett is on paid administrative leave. He said the time frame referenced in the charges is consistent with his knowledge of the situation.
“We found certain irregularities and turned it over to the sheriff’s office,” he said Friday. “We have checks and balances. Our process worked.”
Hartwell described the situation as being an internal issue that did not impact the man who received the ticket or affect his driving privileges.
Brackett’s next court appearance is set for 9 a.m. Feb. 5 in front of Associate Judge Linda Abrahamson in Courtroom 305 at the Kane County Judicial Center.
Dan Campana is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.