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Anita Alvarez
Cook County State's Attorney
Communications Department
Chicago, IL 60602
(312) 603-3423
saomedia@cookcountygov.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

January 15, 2010

The elected Superintendent of the Cook County Regional Office of Education has been arrested and faces multiple felony charges alleging he committed brazen financial crimes including the use of taxpayer funded credit cards for personal expenses and the use of public monies to make cash advances to his sister and girlfriend whom he had placed on his payroll, State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez announced today.

Dr. Charles Flowers, 51, of Maywood, was taken into custody Thursday by investigators from the State’s Attorney Office and charged with Theft (Class 1 felony) and Official Misconduct (Class 3 felony), in connection with the financial crimes investigation. Flowers appeared in bond court at Cook County Circuit Court in Maywood where his bail was set at $100,000.

According to prosecutors, Flowers stole in excess of $10,000 from the regional office with a total loss to the public office of approximately $376,000.

“In this case we have an elected official who is supposed to be working for the taxpayers of Cook County, who apparently had the absurd notion that the taxpayers were working for him,” Alvarez said.

“Within months of taking office, this man engaged in a bold and brazen scheme to defraud.  It is a repulsive example of public corruption and today’s charges should serve as a reminder to anyone who would engage in this type of conduct that they will be held accountable here in Cook County.”

Flowers began his term as the Regional Superintendent in July of 2007.  The office is responsible for overseeing state educational mandates, teacher certifications, local school grants, background checks and fingerprinting for teachers and school-related employees for public schools in suburban Cook County.

The State’s Attorney’s Office began its criminal probe of Flowers’ office in early 2009.  A subsequent state audit published by the State Auditor General showed significant financial irregularities within Flowers’ office.  The State’s Attorney’s Office executed a search warrant at Flowers’ home and at the Regional Office of Education in July of 2009, seizing evidence including computers, payroll records and time sheets.

According to prosecutors, analysis of the records reveal evidence of significant financial mismanagement and financial misconduct by Flowers including:

– Cash Advances to Public Employees: According to prosecutors, Flowers used office funds to unlawfully make cash advances to employees that were never fully repaid including a $6,000 cash advance to his sister whom he had hired as his executive administrative assistant, and a $9,000 cash advance to his girlfriend whom he had hired as a school compliance liaison.

— Personal Use of Regional Office Credit Cards: According to prosecutors, Flowers made numerous personal cash advances and credit card purchases of goods and services that were of a purely personal nature.  These included using his office credit card to purchase nearly $800 in air travel and additional personal expenses for his children for a trip to Mississippi.  In addition, Flowers rang up thousands of dollars in credit card expenses for dozens of personal purchases including tabs for expensive restaurants, car rentals and limousine services.

— Utilization of Restricted Funds for Unauthorized Purposes: Flowers is alleged to have used restricted grant funds to pay two additional office employees more than $21,000 in “consulting fees” in addition to their individual salaries of more than $80,000 each.  The investigation has revealed that no consulting services were ever performed by these employees outside of the office or even during normal working hours.

In addition to the criminal action against Flowers, the State’s Attorney’s Office last July filed a civil lawsuit on behalf of Cook County seeking repayment of a $190,000 loan made by the county to Flowers (see attached).  The civil suit, which is pending, seeks repayment of the past due loan and alleges that Flowers engaged in a scheme to defraud Cook County when he obtained the loan.

The public is reminded that criminal charging documents contain allegations that are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the state has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. 

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