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McHenry County News DISPLAY ADVERTISING & CLASSIFIEDS: 815-654-4850 • CIRCULATION: 815-654-4854 • E-MAIL: McHenryNews@RVPublishing.com

VOLUME 7 • ISSUE 50

11512 N. 2nd ST. • MACHESNEY PARK, IL 61115 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2017

CEO of suburban pharmaceutical company arrested on fraud charge The chief executive officer of a suburban pharmaceutical company was arrested last week on a federal fraud charge for allegedly pocketing at least $1.5 million from investors and spending the cash on a luxury lake house in Michigan and golf and yacht club dues. Robert Tomlinson, the CEO of Neurendo Pharma LLC in Hoffman Estates, misappropriated at least $1.5 million from individual and corporate investors from March 2016 to earlier this month, according to a criminal complaint and affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Tomlinson fraudulently advised investors that their funds would be used to operate Neurendo and to market an experimental drug, known as GNTI, to treat type II diabetes, the complaint states. Tomlinson allegedly claimed investors would receive a substantial payment once Neurendo’s drug rights were purchased by a major pharmaceutical company. In reality, Tomlinson used the majority of investor funds to support his family’s lavish lifestyle, which included a lake house in Bay Harbor, Mich., and annual dues at the Bay Harbor Golf Club and Bay Harbor Yacht Club, the complaint states. Federal agents this morning arrested Tomlinson, conducted a court-authorized search of his residence in Hoffman Estates, and seized funds in one of his bank accounts. Tomlinson, 68, was scheduled to make an initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan E. Cox in Chicago. The complaint charges him with one count of wire fraud. The complaint was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United

States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sunil Harjani. According to the complaint, Tomlinson attempted to raise money from existing investors as recently as this month. Earlier this year he made approximately 47 cash withdrawals of $9,500 each from Neurendo’s bank account. The structured withdrawals appear to have been made in an effort to avoid federal reporting rules, which require financial institutions to notify the U.S. Department of the Treasury about transactions of more than $10,000, the complaint states. The charges also accuse Tomlinson of misappropriating at least $100,000 in investor money to fund his own futures trading account, and $33,000 to make payments to the Washington National Cathedral. In addition to the Michigan lake house, Tomlinson used investor funds to make mortgage payments on properties in Petoskey, Mich., and the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., the complaint states. The public is reminded that a complaint contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

Get out to play after dark at McHenry County Conservation District With the sun going down so early, there’s no time to play! Fear not... now you can get out to enjoy some fresh air and exercise every night after dark. The District has two sites open late for hiking or cross country skiing when the conditions are right. Now through March 11, you can hike or ski until 9 p.m. every evening on the Solar Lit Trails at Pleasant Valley, Woodstock (half mile beginner loop) or Hickory Grove Highlands, Cary (1-mile intermediate loop). The Pleasant Valley trail at 13315 Pleasant Valley Rd. in Woodstock, is a short .5-mile trail located on the east side of the entrance drive and traverses relatively flat terrain, perfect for beginners or shorter outings. Park in the first parking area and sign in. The trail at Hickory Grove Highlands, 500 Hickory Nut Grove Lane in Cary is a longer 1.25 mile looped trail that travels through a restored savanna, offering a longer scenic route with some hills and turns, suitable for intermediate skiers. Visitors should sign in at the trail head. Both sites provide residents another outdoor recreational opportunity in the winter, at night, as an adjunct to our popular Candlelight Skis, which are only offered once a month during the season. Visit the District’s website at www.MCCDistrict.org to view the current schedule of winter events and programs or to find the location of your favorite activity nearest you.

WOODSTOCK PD PHOTO McHenry County News

Thanksgiving Day at Woodstock Police Department

Woodstock Detective Sharp carves the turkey on Thanksgiving Day. Thanks to the many businesses and citizens that dropped off food for our police officers working the holiday.

Illinois Tollway awards nearly $394 million in contracts Nearly $5.4 billion invested since start of Move Illinois Program The Illinois Tollway Board of Directors approved nine new construction and professional engineering service contracts totaling nearly $394 million at its November meeting. In addition, the amount committed to diverse and veteran firms this month is the largest approved at a single Board meeting. Of the $394 million awarded for these contracts, nearly $240 million, or 61 percent, is committed to small, veteran-owned or disadvantaged firms. “The success of small, diverse and veteran firms helps our local and state economies thrive,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Greg Bedalov. “We’re proud that our efforts to provide opportunities for all types and sizes of businesses are making a difference.” Altogether, more than $916.3 million in contracts have been approved by the Tollway Board in 2017, as part of the sixth year of the Tollway’s 15-year, $14 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future. To date, nearly $5.4 billion has been invested by the Illinois Tollway since the Move Illinois Program began in 2012, with more than $1.5 billion of that total committed to small, diverse and veteran-owned firms. In addition, the capital program has cre-

ated or sustained an estimated 55,850 total jobs as of October 2017. November construction contracts awarded include: • A $647,740 contract to Cardinal State, Lake in the Hills, Ill., for bioswale improvements on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) between the Elgin Toll Plaza and Illinois Route 53. November professional engineering services contract awards include: • A $205.6 million contract to HNTB Corp., Chicago, for Program Management Office services. • A $157 million contract to Omega & Associates Inc., Lisle, for construction corridor management/owners representative services for the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project. • A $10.6 million contract to V3 Companies of Illinois Ltd./Michael Baker International Inc., Woodridge, Ill., for design services for the reconstruction and widening of the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) between Wolf Road and the O’Hare Oasis. • An $8.9 million contract to d’Escoto Inc./Burns & McDonnell Engineering Inc., Chicago, for construction management services for roadway and bridge rehabilitation on the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) between Annie Glidden Road and Illinois Route 56. • A $5.3 million contract to DB

Sterlin Consultants Inc., of Chicago, for construction management services for roadway and bridge rehabilitation on the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) between Illinois Route 251 and Annie Glidden Road. • A $2.5 million contract to Delta Engineering Group, Chicago, for design services for ITS relocation along the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) between 95th Street and Balmoral Avenue. • A $2.5 million contract to Harry O. Hefter Associates Inc., Chicago, for roadway and bridge design services along the Tri-State Tollway (I294) between Balmoral Avenue and Lake Cook Road. • A $930,000 contract to Fuhrmann Engineering Inc., Chicago, for roadway and bridge design services for on the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) between Illinois Route 59 and Washington Street and on the Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355) between I-55 and Butterfield Road. The contracts approved today include five prime consultants, 31 subconsultants and one prime contractor that are certified as disadvantaged, minority- and women-owned business enterprise (D/M/WBE) firms and eight subconsultants that are certified veteran-owned firms.

See CONTRACTS, Page 8

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