Adam Lopez indicted on charges of theft, exploiting elderly

Nov. 08--After nearly two months under a cloud of criminal investigation, Springfield School Board vice president Adam Lopez was indicted Wednesday on charges of theft and financial exploitation of the elderly.

A grand jury handed down the five-count indictment and Lopez was later arrested by U.S. marshals.

The indictment alleges that Lopez, 35, of the 2900 block of Lakeshire Drive, knowingly exerted unauthorized control over more than $1 million entrusted to him through his role as a financial agent for Country Financial. Lopez was fired from the company in early September after a customer complaint, the company said.

Additional clients have since made complaints against Lopez, prompting Springfield police to open an investigation, which led to them raiding his home and office last month. The U.S. attorney's office, Sangamon County state's attorney's office, FBI and Illinois Department of Insurance were also included in the investigation.

"Individuals who commit these types of financial crimes in a position of trust or confidence will be vigorously prosecuted," said State's Attorney Dan Wright. "The harm caused by these activities is immeasurable and those responsible will be brought to justice."

Lopez is being held in the Sangamon County Jail on $1.5 million bond, a high number prosecutors attributed to the serious nature of the charges, the risk posed to the community and the perceived flight risk of Lopez.

Daniel Noll, Lopez's attorney, said Wednesday evening that Lopez will plead not guilty to all charges.

"He denies any wrongdoing and is presumed innocent of the charges," Noll said. "He looks forward to telling his side of the story to the jurors of Sangamon County and believes he will ultimately be vindicated."

The indictment, which includes two counts of theft and three counts of financial exploitation of the elderly, includes allegations that have surfaced in the past few months in civil lawsuits.

Among those named as victims of Lopez's alleged schemes are Ronald and Beverly Lenhart, Lopez's uncle and aunt; Richard Lenhart, his cousin; and Ronald Standridge, all of whom have civil cases pending against Lopez in Sangamon County.

In their suit filed last month, Beverly and Robert Lenhart allege that Lopez engaged in a scheme "to deceive and defraud" them of at least $800,000 in retirement savings. Richard Lenhart made similar accusations in a separate suit, alleging Lopez took up to $125,000 in savings meant for investment.

According to court documents, Lopez allegedly convinced Beverly and Robert Lenhart to sign checks over to him personally with the understanding Lopez would invest those funds in safer retirement accounts.

The money was never invested, however, with the suit alleging Lopez "intended to induce (them) to make withdrawals/distributions of all their retirement savings and write personal checks to him which he deposited into his own personal account and used for his own personal affairs."

Standridge sued Lopez for financial exploitation of the elderly, alleging Lopez took about $69,000 from him through an investment scheme. Also listed in today's indictment were Standridge's wife, Nancy, and son, Jeremy.

"The Standridges appreciate the hard work by the State's Attorney's office and the investigating agencies in bringing these charges," said their attorney, August Appleton. "They pray for the day they are made whole and can put this nightmare behind them."

At least five other alleged victims were listed in Wednesday's indictment.

Lopez could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted.

Lopez has been an elected member of the Springfield School Board since 2013. A District 186 spokeswoman said the district is not involved in any investigation involving Lopez or any of his personal matters.

Jeff Vose, the Sangamon County Regional Superintendent of Schools, said his office "has been monitoring the situation."

State statute gives regional superintendents the authority to remove elected school board members, but it can only happen after three to four months of chronic absences from board meetings. Lopez cannot be removed simply for being indicted, Vose said.

As a result, Lopez will likely remain on the school board until his term ends in April, unless he resigns or is convicted beforehand. Lopez has not yet indicated whether he will seek re-election.

Contact Brenden Moore: 788-1526, brenden.moore@sj-r.com, twitter.com/brendenmoore13.

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