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mokenamessenger.com news
the Mokena Messenger | February 22, 2018 | 3
Provi ex-president not charged
after phone in question vanishes
Amanda Stoll Assistant Editor
New Lenox
police declined
to file charges
Thursday, Feb.
15, after a nearly
two-month investigation
into
alleged inappropriate
content on
McGrath
a cellphone used by the Rev.
Richard J. McGrath, former
president of Providence Catholic
High School.
McGrath resigned on Dec. 22
amid the investigation, which
was opened Dec. 8 and led by
Sgt. Micah Nuesse of the New
Lenox Police Department.
After McGrath refused multiple
times to surrender the
phone — which was the property
of the high school — to
Providence officials and police,
McGrath’s lawyer, Patrick
Reardon, told police Dec. 27
the phone “no longer exists”
and it would be a “huge waste
of time” to look for it, according
to the police reports.
Without the phone, police say
in the report they could not file
charges.
According to the report, the
Rev. John Merkelis, now acting
president at Providence Catholic,
met with police on behalf
of a female student who allegedly
saw “what she believed to
be a photo of a nude 13-yearold
male” on McGrath’s phone
Dec. 8 during a wrestling meet
at the school.
The student reportedly told
a trusted employee, who informed
Providence Principal
John Harper, who then relayed
the information to Merkelis.
The trusted employee was
interviewed by police at the
police department on Dec. 11,
and she told police the female
student witness confided in her
shortly after seeing the image
on McGrath’s phone. Accord-
From feb. 16
ing to the report, the individual
said the witness was “visibly
shaking” and pale in the face
upon telling her what she had
seen.
On Dec. 12, Nuesse and
Merkelis met with McGrath in
McGrath’s office at the school,
according to the report. He was
asked by police and Merkelis
to hand over his cellphone, and
he reportedly refused to do so
despite Merkelis’ assertion that
the device was the property of
Providence Catholic.
At that time, New Lenox
Police Chief Brian Sterba said
police did not have enough
evidence to obtain a warrant
for the phone and therefore did
not have the authority to take it
without permission.
According to the report, Mc-
Grath “stood up and walked out
of the office, advising that he
needed to get to the theatre.”
“Unless Father Merkelis was
prepared to wrestle him for it,
we weren’t getting the phone,”
Sterba said.
After McGrath left, police
seized the computer on his desk,
which Merkelis confirmed was
McGrath’s exclusive computer.
The computer subsequently
was searched by the Computer
Crimes Unit of the Will County
State’s Attorney’s Office. No
relevant information was obtained,
according to the report.
Police reportedly contacted
Providence’s attorneys at Kopon
Airdo law firm on Dec. 27,
who indicated that Reardon had
told them “no evidence exists.”
According to the report, the
initial witness’s testimony was
then subpoenaed, and she was
interviewed on Jan. 11 at the
police station in lieu of an appearance
in front of a grand
jury.
The witness then told police
that she had approached Mc-
Grath at the wrestling meet to
greet him because he was sitting
alone on the bleachers.
According to the report, as she
approached from behind, Mc-
Grath “‘freaked out like when
someone saw something that
you don’t want them to see’ and
pulled his phone close to his
body.”
During her interview with
police, the witness described
the photo as that of a male
between the ages of 12 and
15 who was naked and standing
with his arms down at his
sides.
The report states that the boy
was pictured from the shoulders
to the knees, but that the
witness was unsure whether she
saw male genitalia or not.
Further contact was made
with both McGrath and his attorney
between Jan. 16 and 17,
in which Reardon reportedly
told police he did not “believe
that the cellular phone exists,”
according to the report.
The case officially was
closed by the New Lenox Police
Department Feb. 15 “due to
the absence of cooperation and
lack of further leads.”
Police asked that anyone with
any information related to this
case contact Nuesse at (815)
462-6100.
“If new evidence comes to
light, we will certainly evaluate
it,” Sterba told 22nd Century
Media via text message.
Police did not comment on
if there are any related ongoing
investigations involving Mc-
Grath, who worked at Providence
for more than 30 years.
“It would be inappropriate to
comment on any investigation
that may or may not be happening,”
Sterba said.
Merkelis and Reardon did
not immediately respond to requests
for comment.
Additional reporting by Publisher
Joe Coughlin.
Village of Mokena Board of Trustees
Bid granted for manhole repairs
Jon DePaolis, Freelance Reporter
A low bid on manhole rehabilitation
repairs will lead to the Village of
Mokena potentially saving 32 percent
on what trustees budgeted for the program.
Mokena trustees voted 4-0 Feb. 12
to award a contract to National Power
Rodding Corporation in the amount of
$49,010 for the 2018 fiscal year manhole
rehabilitation program. Trustees John
Mazzorana and George Metanias were
absent.
Staff Engineer Dan Peloquin told the
Village Board members the contract
will include cover replacement, chemical
grouting, curtain grouting, internal
chimney sealing and other repairs for
about 71 sanitary sewer manholes.
“At the end of January, bids were
opened, and we had seven bidders —
of which, the low bidder was National
Power Rodding Corp. of Chicago,”
Peloquin said.
The bid was $13,790 less than the next
closest bidder, RMS Utility Services.
Peloquin also noted that the company’s
bid came in $22,990 (about 32 percent)
less than the amount the Village
budgeted for the project, which was
$72,000.
Trustee Jim Richmond pointed out
the substantial difference between National
Power Rodding’s bid compared
to the others and asked Peloquin to
keep an eye on the project.
Annexation terms outlined
Later on, during the work session
that followed the regular meeting,
Assistant Village Administrator Kirk
Zoellner updated the board members
on the potential annexation of a 0.5
acre parcel of land located at 10724 W.
191st St.
Zoellner said Village staff, at the Village
Board’s direction, has been working
with the property owner to annex
the property, which is between Revere
and Schoolhouse Roads.
According to Zoellner, on Dec. 6,
staff received a letter from the property
owner’s attorney asking for certain
conditions to be met for an annexation
agreement, including: zoning the property
as commercial; exemption from
code violations for six months while
the existing structure is demolished;
Round it up
A brief recap of other issues covered
during the Feb. 12 board meeting:
•During the Discover Mokena
portion of the agenda, Cheryl Collins,
of Curtain Call Theatre, promoted
the upcoming performances of
“Enchanted April.” The romantic
comedy is scheduled to be performed
at the Mokena theater at 7:30 p.m.
March 2-3 and March 9-10, as well as
at 2 p.m. March 4 and March 11.
•As part of the Consent Agenda,
trustees voted 4-0 to grant a special
event request from the Mokena Lions
Club to hold its 31st annual Firecracker
Dance Weekend and Fundraiser
from July 13-14, and to allow the
organization to use the Front Street
commuter lot through the weekend.
•During the work session after the
regular meeting, the Village Board
members heard an update from
Zoellner on potential vendors for a
community survey. Four vendors were
discussed, and the Village Board
members asked staff for additional
information about the proposals made
by two of those vendors.
and waiver of water and sewer connection
fees.
On Jan. 18, staff met with the property
owner at Village Hall to negotiate
terms and set responsibilities and approximate
costs for the two parties,
such as: the property owner paying for
the demolition costs, to be completed
within 180 days of the annexation date;
the Village agreeing to not issue code
violations during that time period; the
Village zoning the land C2, highway
commercial; and the Village providing
a partial waiver of a future water and
sewer connection fee valued at a soft
cost of $2,000.
Trustees Joseph Budzyn and Jim
Richmond both said they were unsure
about granting the waiver on the connection
fees, but both said that if it
was what the rest of the Village Board
was comfortable with, they would be
onboard with it in order to move this
issue along.
Direction from the mayor and the
trustees was for staff to move ahead
with the agreement.
A public hearing is planned for Monday,
Feb. 26 Village Board meeting.