Here is an update on long story on Boone County Crime Stoppers.
I previously provide information indicating that its charitable status with the Illinois Attorney General was in question. SEE: http://boonecountywatchdog.blogspot.com/2011/04/is-boone-county-crime-stoppers.html As shown by the letter from the Illinois Attorney General (AG) shown below, Boone County Crime Stoppers is not complying with state law.
Click on the photocopy to enlarge:
Based upon the AG’s letter I made the following request to Boone County’s State Attorney, Michelle Courier:
March 21, 2011
Michelle J. Courier
Boone County States Attorney
601 North Main
Belvidere, Il 61008
Dear Ms. Courier:
I wish to notify you of Boone County Crime Stoppers’ apparent failure to provide required filings to State Of Illinois. I believe your office should be concerned because Boone County Crime Stoppers (BCCS) has a page on Boone County’s website (http://www.boonecountyil.org/content/crime-stoppers) and receives periodic contributions from the Seventeenth Circuit Court’s felony fine account.
As shown by the six attachments, BCCS has not provided annual reports to the Illinois Attorney General since 2003 and based upon the Attorney General’s Letter of February 15, 2011 is “no longer in good standing”. This could in part be an address problem, in as much as the address of the “old post office” at 103 South State is being used, however no reports have been apparently submitted since 2003.
I have contacted BCCS at the phone number stated on Boone County website (815 547 7867) and they have not returned my call.
BCCS should comply with State Law and BCCS’s financials should be available to the public on the Attorney General’s website: http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/charities/search/searchItems.jsp. I am seeking your assistance to insure that these citizen’s rights will be preserved, however I believe that your office has more specific legal duties regarding BCCS.
You are the county’s attorney and the county’s website is involved. The BCCS’s web page indicates that contributions to BCCS are tax deductible. However BCCS apparently does not comply with the state charities and trust acts. Lacking such compliance, BCCS’s page on the county’s website should be reviewed and corrected to insure that the public is aware of BCCS proper classification as a charity under federal and state law.
You are the chief prosecutor for the Circuit Court and the court is a primary funding source for BCCS. I request that you as an officer of the Circuit Court inform the judges in writing of BCCS’s legal situation with the Attorney General and initiate a suspension of further payment to BCCS.
I have enclosed copies of all documents received from the Attorney General Office’s in their letter of February 23, 2011.
Thank you for your cooperation. I would appreciate a reply in writing to my requests.
States Attorney Courier replied immediately with the following letter:
As it turns out Mr. Nathan Noble is not Boone county Crime Stoppers’ legal counsel but BCCS assumed he was and used him as their designated counsel on its last corporate registration. Ms. Courier has contacted the Boone County Crime Stoppers’ board. She stated to me orally that BCCS has submitted the required forms to the state and that BCCS stated that the AG’s office stated it was “OK” to continue operating as an Illinois approved charity.
As of yet I have received no direct response from BCCS.
