Pyle's pay piles up - another $10K

Last week I reported on the vacation and sick pay awarded to former Sgt. Greg Pyle of the McHenry County Sheriff's Department.

Now more pay shows up, and the story isn't over yet.

Based on last week's report, Pyle collected on 891.5 hours of Sick Benefit plus 160 vacation hours and 24 hours of personal days' pay.

I recollect one report or article that indicated that Pyle had never taken one vacation day in ten years. At the time I thought, "Impossible. Who works for ten years and never takes one vacation day?" Last week's report indicated that Pyle certainly did take vacation time, because he had only 160 hours (4 weeks) vacation pay accrued. Oh, the deception and rumors...

Today I received further information. And it opens yet another door for questions.

An Agreement dated October 10, 2012, between MCSD and Pyle discloses a payment to Pyle of $10,962.35 for wages owed to Pyle through August 14, 2012. Huh? What's that all about? Pyle was put on paid administrative leave in January 2012, and then there was smoke-and-mirrors about payment of sick pay and vacation pay until those ran out in August, coincidentally on the day the Feds scooped him up and gave him free lodging in the Boone County Jail, where he still sits on a no-bond hold by the Federal Court in Rockford.

Sheriff Nygren's OK on this Agreement was signed for by Attorney John H. Kelly (on 10/3/12, a full week before the date of the Agreement). Pyle's approval was signed for by Joe Mazzone. Teresa Pyle signed as POA (Power of Attorney) for Pyle. Then Ka-ching. Out rolls ten grand, net.

It's interesting that Nygren's or Zinke's signature is not on the Agreement. Instead, a paragraph of legalese is tagged on, reading "The parties (the County, the Sheriff and Pyle) warrant that the undersigned representatives (Kelly and Mazzone) are fully empowered and authorized to execute this Agreement and bind their respective parties." But missing are the signatures of "the parties" who so empower and authorize the signatories.

And the kicker that opens the door for more questions? The Agreement, dated October 10, 2012 reads, in part, "WHEREAS, Pyle was employed by the Employer with the McHenry County Sheriff's Department as a Deputy Sheriff and was terminated from his employment by the McHenry County Sheriff; and ..."

OK, so when was Pyle terminated? And by what method or process? There must be some other written record of that termination of Pyle by Sheriff Nygren. But where is it? Did it get lost, like the letter from Zinke to the FBI on December 3, 2010?

Plus the Sheriff's Department has no record of communication with the Merit Commission, supposedly a valuable and integral part of the termination process at MCSD. If Sheriff Nygren wants to can somebody, he is supposed to go to the Merit Commission for the okay. Those are the rules.

Unless he decides to ignore the rules...