A winning statement

On Cal Skinner's McHenry County Blog today, Cal wrote, "Nygren said that Zinke 'will be the best sheriff we ever had,' according to the article" and "The price is $30."

He's talking, of course, about Zinke's next fundraiser for his 2014 run to be the next sheriff. When was the last time somebody ran for office around here and started raising money 2 1/2 years ahead of Election Day?

One commenter to that article said, "He calls the Greg Pyle pedophile problem a 'domestic issue'." I'm not sure whom "mighty mouse" means by "He": Nygren or Zinke?

Is there anyone in McHenry County (or elsewhere) who thinks that ten counts of predatory criminal sexual assault against a child (under age 13, and related) are a "domestic issue"?

In his January 8th email to command personnel, which directed them to disseminate "to to" (sic) department staff, Undersheriff Zinke, over Keith Nygren's name (signature), informed them of Pyle's arrest and charges. It's a rather bland, soft-soap, boiler-plate message and includes "Bond was posted and Greg is currently on administrative leave."

Conveniently, Zinke/Nygren failed to inform personnel that Pyle was placed on paid administrative leave. He also referred to the ten (10) charges as "multiple" counts. And notice how he refers to Pyle as "Greg". Just one of the boys. The good ol' boys. Our friend, Greg.

Barf!

Then he tosses more vomit at the troops. "Different types of family issues affect all of us."

No, Keith and Andy, they do not!

And then Keith (or Andy) suggests use of the Employee Assistance Program. What a joke! Are they setting up a mental illness defense for Pyle?

And then they write, "Please join and share your prayers for those affected by this case..." This is law enforcement; not church.

Can you believe that garbage? This, from the sheriff of a county of 320,000! A man who claims that he'll have 50 years of cop work when he retires in 2014.

Zinke says he has served the people of McHenry County for 22 years "happily, compassionately and with honor".

What does Jimmy, the Greek, have to say about when Nygren's last day at MCSD will be?

Comments, anyone?

Sheriff fails to halt Pyle's pay

The McHenry County Sheriff's Department Merit Commission met this morning in its regularly-scheduled March monthly meeting. On the Agenda was Item 6.0, "Executive Session."

There being no topic to be discussed during an Executive Session, the Commissioners proceeded to the end of the meeting.

Chairperson Janelle Crowley bagged the meeting and did not show up for the 10:30AM start. Not only that, she gave no notice to the other four commissioners that she would not attend, and she could not be reached. The commissioners waited ten minutes for her, and then Commissioner Patrick McAndrews called the meeting to order at 10:40AM. (Crowley recently left her position as HR Director for the City of Woodstock and is not HR Director for Elgin Community College. She could have taken a personal day today to fulfill her duty, but that might have cost her $400-500.)

Minutes and bills were approved. Applications were passed around from three persons for lateral consideration, including one from Maricopa County, Arizona. A motion was made to add those applications to the eligibility list. (Isn't the eligibility list a list of those ready to be hired?)

A file of letters was circulated without comment among the commissioners.

And then the meeting was adjourned at about 10:50AM

Out of respect for the agenda and protocol, when the Executive Session item passed, I did not ask for an opportunity to speak. The public comment portion of the meeting had been earlier.

After the meeting I expressed my outrage that Sheriff Keith Nygren had failed to bring the matter of Sgt. Greg Pyle's employment before the Merit Commission. What possible reason could Nygren have for delaying? Does he intend not to fire Pyle?

Pyle has been charged, arrested and indicted on felony charges. I was going to write "serious felony charges", but all felonies are serious. Nygren could have called a Special Meeting of the Merit Commission in January. he could have arranged for Pyle's termination to be considered at the February Regular Meeting but, instead, that meeting was canceled. And nothing happened at this meeting.

Why is Nygren waiting? How much longer will Nygren pay Pyle $9,000/month? How much longer, Keith?

That first press release about Pyle

On Saturday, January 7, McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren issued a statement about Greg Pyle, without naming him. In fact, it's curious whether Nygren really issued the statement, since the "statement" bears a rubber-stamp signature with no initials to indicate who stamped Keith's name on the statement.

That ground was covered previously - when you sign someone else's name, you identify yourself by your name or initials. In this case, "Someone" didn't.

You can read the statement here for yourself. Just click on the image to enlarge it; then click on the Back button on your browser to come back here.

In view of what is known now (and what must have been known when the folks at the sheriff's department learned about it on Friday night), to call it a "domestic issue" fails every test of reasonability.

What do you think of when you think of "domestic" issue? Loud voices? Maybe a pot thrown at someone? Maybe someone got pushed a little?

Now we know that MCSD Sgt. Greg Pyle has been charged with ten (count 'em: 10) counts of "Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault (Child under 13)".

Don't worry, folks. It was "just" a little domestic issue.

Did Sheriff Nygren authorize and word that "statement"? Did he approve it? Was it faxed or emailed back and forth between Woodstock and Minocqua until they got all the words in just the right order?

Who put Pyle on administrative leave? Who has that authority at MCSD? Did Undersheriff Zinke assume full responsibility on Friday evening and take action? Or was that call made from Minocqua, the official Wisconsin headquarters of the McHenry County (Ill.) Sheriff's Department?

And, since Pyle's "administrative leave" can reasonably be expected to last more than 30 days, when will the Sheriff's Department Merit Commission meet? As a "public body" its meeting must be announced 48 hours in advance, and it is open to the public. You can bet your britches that they'll run for Executive Session (they don't have to, but they will), and then they'll return to Open Session and vote to suspend Pyle without pay.

As of this morning, no Special Meeting of the Merit Commission is scheduled. Can only Sheriff Nygren call a special meeting? Can the deputy in charge of the Sheriff's Department in Nygren's absence call a special meeting? Can two of the members of the Commission call a Special Meeting?

Will Nygren immediately fire Pyle for bringing discredit to the Department? Pyle's alleged activities are certainly a lot more serious than writing a warning to a driver, which got Zane Seipler fired.

Will the sheriff use the State's Attorney's Office to defend any lawsuit by Pyle to get his job back, with back pay? Tricky, eh? - since the State's Attorney's Office will be prosecuting Pyle. Is there an outside law firm already licking its chops over more legal fees from the Sheriff's Department?

MCSD - special handling of Pyle

Why is the McHenry County Sheriff's Department pussy-footing around the Pyle case within its walls?

When an employee is suspended or comes under a cloud of some type, MCSD alerts its employees. News and information alerts are sent by internal email to employees.

For example, MCSD sent the following email:

"To All Personnel;

"As of 01/13/2012, Philip Gualdoni is no longer employed by the McHenry County Sheriff's Office. He should be afforded no access not normally granted to the general public."

The strange thing is, I can't find anyone who has a clue who "Philip Gualdoni" is (or was).

When the warrant was issued for Pyle and his arrest was anticipated, every Department employee should have been alerted, just in case he used his keycard to come in the back door. Did MCSD send out an email to employees? No

Were personnel who would be involved in processing him, should he be taken into custody, informed fully? No

Have there been any information alerts to employees that Pyle is on "administrative leave" and is not permitted unescorted within the Sheriff's Department (or maybe not at all)? No

Did MCSD command personnel urge the State Police to search Pyle's home immediately, in order to preserve all possible evidence? Did they immediately secure his work area and freeze everything he was working on? Was his work area secured as soon as the "domestic" matter was reported? Why did it take so many days for investigators to show up and search his home in Crystal Lake?

Undoubtedly, someone at the Crystal Lake Police Department would have alerted "someone" at the Sheriff's Department. It would seem appropriate for the Chief at the Crystal Lake Police Department to contact Sheriff Keith Nygren. Is there documentation of such an alert?

Pyle's house surrounded right now

Why would there be a very strong, as in VERY STRONG, police presence in front of the home of disgraced Sgt. Gregory Pyle of the McHenry County Sheriff's Department?

Who's there? Illinois State Police, FBI, Crystal Lake PD, McHenry County Sheriff's Department, including Det. James Popovits. A lot of unmarked cars. (You know how cleverly unmarked cars are disguised; they can be spotted miles away!)

Earlier there was a comment on a blog that two of Pyle's home computers had gone swimming in a pond. Were they recovered? Were they intended as anchors for a small model boat, maybe, and the rope (errr, line) broke? Recall the new law in Illinois that electronics can no longer just be put out at the curb? Is Pond Insertion the new method of disposal?

It is not known at this time (by me, anyway) who is in Pyle's house. Presumably any child would be in school, although the child would be on the way home soon. Has Mrs. Pyle been notified to pick up children at school and not go home? Can you imagine the unnecessary trauma to a child of getting off the bus and seeing his home surrounded?

Are guns drawn outside the Pyle abode? Choose the correct answer:

A. Yes
B. Yes
C. Yes

Case 12CF000020 still not online at Circuit Clerk website

It seems to me that a high-profile case involving a McHenry County Sheriff's Department (Greg Pyle) could make it through the red tape at the courthouse and be entered into the database of the McHenry County Circuit Clerk on a Monday. But a search tonight for Pyle's name or the Case Number comes up empty.

Cal Skinner even already had a copy of the warrant filed today in Pyle's arrest. Man, oh man; what connections does Cal have? Good going, Cal.

So, let's check the time-line. Pyle was busted Friday night for crimes that occurred between September 11, 2006, and September 10, 2010. On McHenry County Blog you can read eight of the counts of Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault of a Child. (What are the other two counts?) A warrant was issued by Judge Mark R. Gerhardt (this will make his first year as a judge memorable) with a $200,000 bond, and everybody in this end of the state started looking for Pyle.

Well, not everybody, because the McHenry County Sheriff's Department failed to notify the public through its magnificent NIXLE system. It's my understanding that police-band radio broadcasts identified Pyle as "heavily armed", as he would have been in possession, perhaps, of all of his SWAT Team weapons. Well, at least he didn't go off the deep end and decide to take a bunch of his critics with him, before he surrendered Saturday night.

His bond form should reveal whether he has to turn in his weapons and FOID card and also whether there is an Order of Protection against him.

Will Mrs. Pyle quickly file for divorce?

Don't you have to wonder, though, how the Complaint (see McHenry County Blog) could be specific enough with the dates of the offenses? A two-year timespan? That's a four-year time period, starting over five years ago. Were the crimes known before last Friday?

Will that end up being shown as a set-up for failure by the prosecution? The first defense argument will probably be that the charges are too vague (as to time), to broad (time-wise). How was it determined that ten offenses took place in the four-year timespan? And how was it known that was the time period? That's a lot to accept. But accept it, the judge did.

Pyle must have had his AmEx Gold Card with him, so that $20,000 could be added to his credit card balance. What do you suppose the monthly payment is on that? And the interest rate?

Hey, isn't there a Sheriff's Department Merit Commission meeting this week? January 11th? Nah, it was previously canceled, like so many others. Maybe there were a little hasty this time in canceling it? Let's keep a sharp eye on the Calendar of Meetings on the McHenry County Government website, found at co.mchenry.il.us

If anyone spots scheduling of a Special Meeting of the Sheriff's Dept. Merit Commission before its next regularly-scheduled meeting on February 8th, please let me know.

Has anyone seen Sheriff Nygren yet? Isn't something like Pyle's capers important enough for Keith to leave Minocqua and get back here to Woodstock?

There was a little (sick) humor in this morning's Northwest Herald article, when the reporter wrote "McHenry County Undersheriff Andrew Zinke, who typically speaks as the Sheriff's Office spokesman ..."  Ha-ha. He is? He does? Since when? Don't they pay the big bucks to Aimee' Knop to be the Public Information Officer? Is the NWH just doing its part to set up Zinke as the next sheriff?

Zinke does not "typically speak" as the mouthpiece for the Sheriff's Department. The Sheriff hogs the spotlight, when he is in town. The problem is that Nygren is up in Minocqua, Wisc. If you don't believe it, just dial his number. You can speak directly with Mrs. Nygren, too, when she answers the phone. Say "Hi" from Woodstock. Remind Keith where Woodstock is. Now, be nice to Mrs. Nygren, everybody.

If Pyle is convicted, he'll have to register as a sex offender. Won't he lose his FOID card? And won't that eliminate him from work in law enforcement? Are there any children in the household when he is crashing now? What about that K-9? Is it trained to nail predators?

Note to the State's Attorney's Office: No deals. NO deals. Go for the max on this one. The taxpayers will gladly support your expenditures to prosecute this one.

Put down that remote!!!

You can forget that remote, if you are looking for what TV station said what about the arrest of McHenry County Sheriff's Dept. Sgt. Greg Pyle. Just go to Cal Skinner's McHenry County Blog

I don't know how Cal captures all those headlines, but he does a good job of it.

The sheriff ought to be really proud of Pyle for bringing all the attention to the Sheriff's Department.

I hear there is still some other news coming that will mention the name of the McHenry County Sheriff's Department

I can't wait to see that written press release given to the Northwest Herald that called the Pyle mess "domestic issues".

Where is Pyle living now? In addition to the criminal charges, will a divorce action quickly follow? And maybe a civil lawsuit.

Will the Department be looking closely at Pyle's police computer and laptop and also digging into any computers at home? The Chicago Tribune said Pyle was the Sheriff's Department's "Internet sex crimes computer specialist".

Good choice, Sheriff Nygren. Think Nygren will return to his office for damage control? How long is the drive from Minocqua?

Criminal Charges in Pavlin Incident?

Are criminal charges against one or more members of the Sheriff's Department on the way, as a result of the March 2008 incident at the home of Jerome and Carla Pavlin, in McHenry County near Crystal Lake?

Rumors are flying.

How is information legally released about Grand Jury investigations and indictments? Is anyone involved inside the Grand Jury room/proceedings allowed to give advance information about decisions by the Grand Jury?

How are decisions reached by the Grand Jury? And, when its decision is to indict a person who was investigated, what are the rules about releasing information about charges?

Is there a method by which information is released to the public? Is an employer of a person charged entitled to advance information, before the public gets it?

It is logical to assume from the details in a Federal civil lawsuit against the Sheriff's Department that the actions of the deputies involved in the Pavlin incident may come under the scrutiny of the Grand Jury.

Eight employees of the McHenry County Sheriff's Department are named in a Federal civil case filed on July 17; they are Sheriff Keith Nygren and Deputies David Shepherd, Greg Pyle, Jeremy Bruketta, Kyle Mandernack, Trevor Vogel, Christopher Jones and Ryan Lambert. Lambert has left the Sheriff's Department.

In criminal cases, the presumption is of innocence.