Ex-school board president gets probation for theft, bid rigging

The former president of the Gavin Elementary District 37 school board was sentenced to two years on probation Wednesday for bid stringing and theft.

Barbara Mende, who automatically lost her school board position when she was found guilty in May of bid stringing, also pleaded guilty to stealing $11,000 while working for the Lake County Fair Association Board.

"I ran for the school board to do what is best for the kids," she said in a tearful statement to Circuit Judge George Bridges. "I did what I did for them, and I apologize for being wrong."

Mende was convicted of splitting a $13,000 contract to relocate equipment from a temporary location in a vacant school in Lake Zurich back to Gavin Central Elementary School after repairs there were completed in 2006.

She had the company that did the job, 5-Alarm Movers, submit two $6,500 invoices to avoid the legal requirement for competitive bids on all government contracts over $10,000.

She claimed at her trial she did so only to keep the school's reopening on schedule, and had saved the district thousands of dollars because students would no longer have to be bused to Lake Zurich.

But Bridges said there was no real way to prove what Mende claimed.

"You may well have saved the community money, but we will never know because you did not get bids," he said. "You may also have cost the community money."

Just before the sentencing hearing, Mende pleaded guilty to a second felony of theft over $10,000 stemming from her employment from 2005 to 2007 as the head of payroll for the fair association.

Officials said Mende paid herself for overtime she did not work, failed to collect payments from herself for health insurance and did not collect a wage garnishment for a Cook County medical bill in the amount of $844.

Lou Archbold, an investigator for the Lake County state's attorney's office, said Mende used the money to help support a gambling addiction.

He testified Wednesday that records from two area casinos showed Mende lost approximately $65,350 between 2004 and last year.

Assistant Attorney General Edward Snow said he agreed with the author of a pre-sentence report on Mende that prison was not an appropriate punishment.

"But she has not spent a night in jail on either of these cases," Snow said. "I believe the message to the community should include Ms. Mende spending some time in jail."

But defense attorney Wesley Pribla of Woodstock said jail time was unnecessary because Mende had not acted with malice.

"She was swimming in an ocean with fish much bigger that her," Pribla said. "I do not mean to be trite, but she was out of her league."

Bridges did impose a six-month jail term, but said Mende will not have to serve it unless she violates the conditions of her probation.

He also ordered her to perform 150 hours of community service, required her to enter and complete treatment for gambling addiction and barred her from leadership positions in any community group.

A hearing was scheduled for Oct. 27 to determine how much Mende will have to repay the fair association.