Edgar County Watchdogs, Inc. | Edgar County Watchdogs site
Edgar County Watchdogs, Inc. | Edgar County Watchdogs site
Orland Park, Ill. – The Orland Fire Protection District engaged a consultant for diversity services at $3,000 monthly starting in June 2017. This arrangement was set to renew until canceled.
In May 2018, the consultant, Irma "Ratliff" Holloway, owner of the now-dissolved IRH Developments, Inc., faced federal charges. A grand jury indicted her on two counts related to defrauding lending institutions of approximately $5 million.
Holloway pleaded guilty to one count and received a 24-month prison sentence beginning October 28, 2020. Her sentence included five years of supervised release and nearly $4 million in restitution.
Despite her incarceration, the Orland Fire Protection District continued paying Holloway's invoices from November 2020 through April 2021. These payments amounted to $18,000 over six months while she was imprisoned.
Invoices were submitted monthly and approved by the Fire Chief. It remains unclear whether Holloway sent these invoices from prison or if another party handled them on her behalf.
There is no record of the district attempting to recover these funds based on their meeting minutes. Questions remain about who deposited these checks.
Alerts Sign-up