Suspect in RICO theft, forgery released to home detention, GPS monitoring

A 62-year-old former Rock Island County employee who faces felony charges has been released on pretrial conditions, according to Rock Island County Court records.
Rock Island County Court documents show Leisa Streeter faces charges of theft/control intent over $500,000-$1 million, theft of more than $100,000 school/worship, forgery/issue/deliver document, conduct transaction over $500,000, and three charges of official misconduct/forbidden act.
Theft/more than $100,000/school/worship is a Class X felony, according to Rock island County Court records. A Class X felony is the most serious type of felony in Illinois. Upon conviction, it carries a mandatory prison sentence of six to 30 years, with potential for extended sentences under certain aggravating circumstances.
Streeter, who was transported from Mercer County Jail to Rock Island County Jail, appeared in court Friday, when she was advised of her charges, rights and penalties, Rock Island County Court records show.
Additionally, she was appointed a public defender and released with pre-trial conditions, home detention and GPS (that stands for Global Positioning System, a satellite-based radio-navigation system that can determine a user's location.)
The state filed a petition to deny pretrial release, but the petition was denied, court documents show.
Streeter is scheduled for a preliminary hearing May 27 in Rock Island County Court.
A longtime employee, an investigation
Streeter was a longtime Rock Island County employee, according to a joint news release from Rock Island County State's Attorney Dora Villarreal and Rock Island County Sheriff Darren Hart.
The Rock Island County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Division, along with assistance from the Illinois State Police Special Investigations Unit, executed a criminal search warrant at a New Windsor residence, As a result, Streeter was arrested on charges of theft, theft of government property, forgery, money laundering and three counts of official misconduct, the release shows.
Streeter first was transported to the Mercer County Jail and then to Rock Island County Jail.
'Financial irregularities' and an investigation
In September of 2024, the Rock Island County Probation Department and Treasurer's Department discovered 'financial irregularities' after Streeter retired. Their concerns were brought to the attention of the Rock Island County States Attorney's Office, who then contacted the sheriff's office to investigate the matter further.
'Given the complexity of the case, the sheriff's office requested additional assistance from the Illinois State Police Special Investigations Unit, who specialize in financial and public corruption cases, along with an outside forensic auditing firm,' the release shows.
The release shows that Streeter was a 34-year employee of Rock Island County when she retired in June of 2024. From 2003 to 2024, Streeter worked as the administrative assistant to the director of court services for Rock Island County Probation.
According to the release, evidence shows, in 2003, Streeter – without authorization – forged documents and opened a fraudulent bank account for her sole personal use under the name 'Rock Island County VIP.' Streeter then funneled fraudulent payments through this account she controlled on the appearance of official services rendered under the Rock Island County Victim's Impact Program.
A forensic audit showed from the time this account was opened through June of 2024, Streeter is alleged to have made in excess of $900,000 in financial withdrawals. Streeter used these funds to pay for personal expenses, to include credit card bills, cash withdrawals, loan payments, food, entertainment, merchandise, travel, transportation, and other miscellaneous expenses, according to the news release.
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