A jury on Tuesday saw security video footage allegedly showing a Foss Park District commissioner participating in the theft of toys at a 2014 holiday Toys for Tots charity event held at the park district facility in North Chicago.
Susan Dixon, a member of the Park District Board, is on trial facing a felony theft charge for allegedly stealing toys from the event. More than 100 toys with a total value of at least $500 were stolen, and Dixon is one of two remaining defendants facing a potential sentence of three to seven years in prison if convicted.
As Assistant State’s Attorney Scott Turk played about two hours of security footage taken from the facility on Dec. 13, 2014, the day the toys were being distributed, North Chicago Police detective Carl Sturt answered intermittent questions from Turk regarding the events on the recording.
Much of the video focused on a gym known as the Blue Room, where toys were stored for distribution after they were received as part of the Marine Reserves Toys for Tots drive.
Sturt said police were contacted a couple of days after the event, when park district officials noticed what they believed to be instances of theft on the security video.
During the distribution, organizers were supposed to take a white slip of paper describing the age and sex of each child and fill a green bag with presents for that child.
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Turk pointed out several instances in which Dixon and others appeared to be collecting toys without holding the slips, and Sturt confirmed that appeared to be what was occurring.
Earlier Tuesday, Gunnery Sgt. Dennis Jones, one of the Marine coordinators of the drive, testified that the district had requested toys for 1,835 children, and that the reserves dropped off enough toys for each child to receive two toys and a stocking stuffer.
Under questioning from Turk, Jones said coordinators received a call from the district the day of the distribution requesting more toys because the event was running short.
Jones said the toys for distribution at the district were carefully counted out, and “we were taken back a bit” when that request came in.
Dixon is one of six initial defendants in the case. Charges were dropped against three of the defendants, one pleaded guilty and another, Jimmy Baldwin — also a Foss Park Board commissioner — is still awaiting trial.
Further prosecution and defense witnesses are expected to testify in Dixon’s trial, which is anticipated to be completed before the end of the week.
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