False Invoices Used To Steal Company Funds: Northbrook Blotter

NORTHBROOK, IL — Two men were charged with felony theft after an investigation into false invoices allegedly used to steal more than $807,000 from a Northbrook company, according to the police department's latest weekly report.

Other entries included stolen jewelry, airline account fraud, phone scams and DUI arrests.

The following information was provided by the Northbrook Police Department. A charge is merely an accusation, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

FELONY THEFT

Justin D. Williams, of Waukegan, and Terry V. Atwater, of Wadsworth, were charged following an investigation involving a die casting company in the 3600 block of Commercial Avenue, according to an entry listed at 4:31 p.m. Oct. 22.

An internal company investigation found that Williams, an employee, allegedly used false invoices supplied by Atwater, the owner of a Kenosha, Wisconsin, trucking company, to steal $807,784.72.

Police said the alleged thefts occurred between June 2022 and April 2025, when Williams left the company.

Williams was charged with one Class 1 felony count of theft and one Class 2 felony count of theft. Atwater was charged with one Class 1 felony count of theft. Their court date was listed for Oct. 23.

THEFT, CREDIT CARD FRAUD

A woman reported at 6:55 p.m. Oct. 16, that her phone and wallet were stolen after she left them in a public bathroom at a hotel in the 900 block of Skokie Boulevard. She subsequently discovered that a stolen credit card had been used to purchase an Uber ride and a guitar. She notified her bank and was working to dispute the charges.

DUI

George A. Luke, of Northbrook, was charged following a traffic stop at 8:59 p.m. Oct. 16, at Meadow Road and Cherry Lane.

An officer reported seeing his Toyota Corolla traveling 10 mph above the speed limit, crossing lane markings and operating without headlights at night. Luke appeared intoxicated, acknowledged drinking before driving and refused sobriety tests, according to police.

He was charged with DUI, speeding, improper lane usage and driving without headlights when required. His court date was listed for Nov. 17.

JEWELRY THEFT

A resident of the 1100 block of Antique Lane reported at 9:13 p.m. Oct. 16, that four rings valued at $65,000 had been stolen from her primary bedroom. She reported no break-in and did not know who had taken the jewelry.

ASSAULT

Darren N. Styles, of Chicago Heights, was charged with assault following a report at 10:02 p.m. Oct. 16, in the 2800 block of Dundee Road.

A woman reported that Styles approached her and her niece at a laundromat, waved his arms, yelled and threatened to hurt them. His court date was listed for Dec. 7.

DUI

Taylor M. Nealis, of New Glarus, Wisconsin, was charged following a traffic stop at 2:42 a.m. Oct. 18, at Willow and Landwehr roads.

An officer reported seeing his Dodge Ram swerving in and out of its lane. Nealis appeared intoxicated and failed field sobriety tests, according to police. The report listed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.17.

He was charged with improper lane usage, DUI and DUI with a blood alcohol concentration above 0.08. His court date was listed for Nov. 23.

DUI, CANNABIS

Mauricio O. Lema, of Chicago, was charged following a traffic stop at 3:16 a.m. Oct. 18, at Dundee and Lee roads.

An officer reported measuring his Chevrolet’s speed at 70 mph in a 45 mph zone and observing quick lane changes without turn signals. Lema appeared intoxicated and failed field sobriety tests, according to police. Officers found a pipe and improperly packaged cannabis during an inventory of the vehicle.

He was charged with misdemeanor speeding, failure to use turn signals, illegal transportation of cannabis, operating an uninsured vehicle and DUI. His court date was listed for Dec. 2.

STOLEN AIRLINE MILES

A resident of the 3600 block of Russett Lane reported at 1:11 p.m. Oct. 18, that someone accessed his airline account and redeemed approximately $600 worth of miles for gift cards. He was working with the airline to dispute the transactions.

Another resident of the 3600 block of Russett Lane reported at 11:39 a.m. Oct. 19, that someone accessed her airline account and converted $671.40 worth of miles into gift cards. She was working with the airline to seek reimbursement.

EBT CARD FRAUD

A resident of the 1500 block of Shermer Road reported at 12:56 p.m. Oct. 20, that someone used her EBT card number to make unauthorized purchases of $116 and $24 in September. She did not know how the card information had been obtained.

RETAIL THEFT

Gas station employees in the 4000 block of Dundee Road reported at 1:49 p.m. Oct. 20, that a woman concealed a $30 vape pen in her waistband and fled the store.

WARRANT SCAM

A resident of the 1700 block of Happ Road reported at 5:23 p.m. Oct. 20, that a caller claiming to work for the Cook County Warrants Division demanded he deliver $35,000 to a Chicago location to avoid arrest.

The resident asked the caller to meet at a local police department. The caller refused, became angry and eventually hung up. The resident then reported the scam to Northbrook police. No payment was reported.

SUSPENDED LICENSE

Mooresse Ford Jr., of Chicago, was charged following a traffic stop at 10:47 p.m. Oct. 20, at Willow Road and Patriot Boulevard.

An officer stopped his Ford after observing suspended registration and learned that his driver’s license was also suspended. He was charged with suspended registration, driving while license suspended and operating an uninsured vehicle. His court date was listed for Dec. 2.

SUSPENDED REGISTRATION

Luis A. Lindao Pincay, of Chicago, was charged following a traffic stop at 12:42 a.m. Oct. 21, at Dundee Road and Skokie Boulevard.

An officer stopped his Infiniti after observing suspended registration. He was charged with suspended registration and operating an uninsured vehicle. His court date was listed for Dec. 2.

GIFT CARD SCAM

A resident of the 1800 block of Maple Avenue reported at 9:46 a.m. Oct. 21, that she received a voicemail from someone claiming to represent Verizon.

When she returned the call, the person threatened to cancel an account discount unless she provided Apple gift cards. She purchased two $500 gift cards and supplied their numbers before realizing it was a scam.

RETAIL THEFT

Management at a beauty products store in the 900 block of Willow Road reported at 10:10 a.m. Oct. 22, that three people were involved in a theft the previous day.

Two women collected $506 worth of products inside the store. A man then entered, took the items from them and left without paying, according to the report.

LAST TIME: Fake Shooting, Bomb Threat Calls: Northbrook Police Blotter