Marina’s license suspended, owner faces forgery charge, police say

The Fox Waterway Agency has suspended the commercial use permits for Anchor Pointe Marina, also known as AP Marine, 42125 N. Fourth Ave., in an unincorporated area near Antioch, after the owner was accused of forging paperwork, officials said.

Owner Steven Wooden, 41, of the 41000 block of North Westlake Avenue in unincorporated Lake County, was arrested and charged with one count of forgery, a felony, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said.

For a person or company to rent boats, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources must receive a boat rental license application. The agency then verifies each boat listed in the application is worthy of being used for rental purposes. After a review, IDNR stamps and signs the official form before sending it back to the person or company.

Companies renting boats must submit the paperwork to the Fox Waterway Agency so it can verify and ensure compliance and know the boats are safe, the sheriff’s release said.

Wooden submitted IDNR paperwork April 17 to the agency to apply for Fox Waterway commercial use stickers for dozens of boats so Anchor Pointe could rent boats during this year’s Chain O’ Lakes boating season, according to the sheriff’s office.

The forms submitted by Wooden appeared to have been approved by IDNR, as they were signed by a purported agent of IDNR, the release stated.

The Fox Waterway Agency issued 26 rental stickers to Wooden. However, upon further inspection, it was determined IDNR never issued the forms to Wooden that he provided to the Fox Waterway Agency, and that Wooden had submitted forged documents, the sheriff’s office said.

The sheriff’s Marine Unit conducted an investigation, which led to the forgery charge. Marine Unit deputies obtained an arrest warrant for Wooden and he was taken into custody without incident Wednesday morning.

He is being held at the Lake County jail pending First Appearance Court.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office warns anyone with an upcoming reservation at Anchor Pointe Marina that the business is not allowed to rent watercraft on the Chain O’ Lakes. Last year, The Boatyard, another marina owned by the Wooden family, faced a suspension of renting privileges, but the owners continued renting boats. The boats were then impounded after customers paid rental fees to the business, the release stated.