Charges dismissed against wife of former Coroner Bill Hintz in fraud scheme
ROCKFORD — The case against the wife of former Winnebago County Coroner Bill Hintz has been dismissed after a brief hearing Thursday in front of Judge Joe McGraw at the Winnebago County Justice Center.
Prosecutors with the Illinois Attorney General's Office told McGraw that Hintz met all requirements under Winnebago County's DIVERT deferred-prosecution program, which allowed all charges to be dropped.
According to a case management order filed on May 5, Hintz completed community service hours and gave a videotaped statement admitting to her involvement in the alleged offenses.
The Illinois Attorney General's Office, which prosecuted the case, recognized that Hintz was jointly liable for the restitution McGraw ordered her husband to pay when he pleaded guilty Wednesday to felony theft and official misconduct. Records show that the ordered restitution of $32,817.05 has been paid.
The bond of $13,500 Michelle Hintz posted when she was arrested in 2020 was turned over to the county as part of her deferred-prosecution agreement.
Aimed at first-time and non-violent offenders, the DIVERT program allows an opportunity to keep a conviction off of a person's criminal record. According to the Winnebago County State's Attorney's Office website, DIVERT helps defendants become fully integrated and respected members of the community by "understanding the impact of their behavior, accepting responsibility and developing their own capacities."
Michelle Hintz notified the court in March that she was applying for deferred prosecution.
Related: Winnebago County Coroner Bill Hintz pleads guilty to theft, misconduct charges
The allegations against Hintz were part of a 2020 indictment that accused her and her husband of using a Winnebago County credit card and a county-issued gasoline card for their personal use. She was initially charged with seven counts of fraud and theft.
Bill Hintz admitted Wednesday to using the cards on a number of occasions to pay for things like hotel rooms, meals, rental cars, and trips to his son's travel hockey tournaments. He was sentenced to six months in jail and ordered to pay the county more than $32,000 in restitution. He resigned as coroner Wednesday morning.
Michelle Hintz is represented by Rockford attorney Seth Mangold. Because her husband worked for the county, her case was prosecuted by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to report that Michelle Hintz forfeited the $13,500 bond she posted in 2020 when she was arrested for theft and fraud.
Jim Hagerty covers general news, schools, and courts. Contact him at 815-987-1345 or jhagerty@rrstar.com. Twitter: @jimhagerty Facebook: /hagertyjim
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Fraud charges in Winnebago County against Michelle Hintz dismissed
