Office of the
Illinois Attorney General
Kwame Raoul

Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a former DeKalb County Sheriff’s office employee was ordered to pay more than $20,000 in restitution for lying to obtain a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bartholomew Ilenikhena, 37, of Cortland, Illinois, was sentenced today by DeKalb County Circuit Court Judge Joseph C. Pedersen to pay restitution of $20,000 after pleading guilty to one Class 2 count of felony theft. He was also sentenced to two years of second chance probation.

“Countless small business owners relied on the Paycheck Protection Program, as well as other federal assistance programs to survive during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Raoul said. “It is unacceptable that a government worker, particularly someone within law enforcement, would take advantage of these programs for personal gain.” 

The case was referred to the Attorney General’s office by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s office.

Ilenikhena forged a PPP loan application to the U.S. Small Business Administration by falsely claiming that he owned a business that did not exist. According to Raoul’s office, Ilenikhena received $18,580 in June 2021 as the result of the fraudulent PPP application, as well as a $10,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan grant.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Haley Bookhout for Raoul’s Public Integrity Bureau.