Jersey County Treasurer Charged With Class 2 Felony Theft –

Jerseyville, Ill. (ECWd) –

In January we reported that Kattie Abbey, the Jersey County Treasurer, was under Illinois State Police investigation for allegations of misappropriation of public funds in this article.

Last Friday, May 2, 2025, Kattie Abbey was charged with Class 2 Felony Theft of between $10k and $100k in Jersey County Circuit Court.

We also obtained a copy of the AG Fraud Examination Report, which was obtain through FOIA by the Madison County Public Corruption Task Force (MCPCTF.org) from the Attorney General’s office.

From among the Fraud Report:

• Key findings include evidence of funds taken by unlawful and/or deceptive means totaling $55,966.47, primarily through altered deposit slips.
• Suspicious transactions indicative of fund misappropriation totaling $2,487.31 were identified.
• According to this report, on 11 separate occasions deposits were made of the Treasurer’s collections in which cash deposits were exchanged and replaced by a check written from a different Jersey County account, the check was signed by the Treasurer. These transactions totaled $55,966.47.
• The report also indicates 17 fraudulent reimbursements made totaling $3681.04, which included duplicate invoices, and non-existent or unverifiable expenses.

The report concluded by stating: “The findings detail financial losses in the amount of $55,966.47 incurred by Jersey County from money taken by unlawful and/or deceptive means. Additionally, it should be noted that certain indirect costs-including the Treasurer’s salary while on extended leave, payments to the former Treasurer for assistance with the day-to-day functioning of the office, fees for this forensic examination, and other related expenses-may represent additional losses to Jersey County. Such losses are not included in this report but may be included in separate documentation from Jersey County.”

*** All people are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law***

Additional information found in federal court records indicate Kattie Abbey filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy earlier this year, indicating her last day as Jersey County Treasurer was March 7, 2025, and her home was in foreclosure. As part of the bankruptcy, she indicated she lost a total of around $70,000 in 2024 on gambling at casinos (see page 6).