Reports Detail Fox Lake Cop's Alleged Sex Harassment And Money Troubles

By Rachel Cromidas in News on Nov 5, 2015 3:52PM

In the days following Fox Lake police officer Charles Joseph Gliniewicz's fatal shooting, the 52-year-old policing veteran on the verge of retirement was revered as a family man, local hero and youth mentor, tragically gunned down by mysterious men who left no evidence behind.

Two months later, an extensive investigation has revealed that he almost certainly shot himself after staging a crime scene in a secluded part of Lake County to help cover up years of wrongdoing—including leeching money from his police department Explorers program for aspiring young trainees to spend on adult entertainment, family vacations and loans, according to Lake County authorities.

Now, sources are telling reporters that Gliniewicz's wife and son were in on the crimes, too, and are currently under investigation due to the incriminating text message exchanges found between them and Gliniewicz in the months before his death.

Gliniewicz and his wife allegedly spent $9,000 from the police department's Explorer's program fund on a Hawaiian vacation, according to WGN. WGN is also reporting that Gliniewicz was the subject of a sexual harassment lawsuit more than a decade ago, which alleged that he asked an officer he supervised for "sexual favors." The lawsuit was ultimately dismissed, but Gliniewicz was suspended for 30 days over it.

WGN also says that Melodie Gliniewicz, his widow, was taken to court by Citibank and Chase over failing to pay her credit card debt.

Gliniewicz's case has taken on a significance beyond a local crime since details of his deception emerged. His death originally helped to stoke a conservative backlash against the Black Lives Matter movement and other efforts to combat police brutality—held up as an example of how the movement could promote anti-cop violence. Now that authorities have pegged his shooting as an elaborate fraud, some reporters are decrying conservative news outlets like Fox News for their irresponsible reporting.