East Central Reporter

Over a 20-month period during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dee Ann Schippert reportedly spent at least 759 hours at a Watseka gambling establishment while claiming to be working as the administrator of the Iroquois County Public Health Department. This information was presented by prosecutors in a recent court filing.

Assistant Illinois Attorney General Haley Bookhout provided details in a 10-page response to a motion filed by Schippert’s attorneys in December. The evidence against Schippert, who faces 33 felony charges including theft of government property by deception, forgery, and official misconduct, includes time-stamped video recordings from Winnie’s Gaming Café, witness testimony from county employees, cell-phone and office call logs, and remote-access log-in data from her work laptop.

Bookhout stated that the evidence is not intended to prejudice the jury but to demonstrate what Schippert was doing during times she claimed to be working. This response was directed at a Dec. 9 motion in limine by Springfield attorneys Mark Wykoff Sr. and Daniel Fultz seeking to exclude such evidence from her trial.

Wykoff and Fultz argued that the gambling evidence is irrelevant; however, Bookhout contended it is crucial for showing that Schippert falsified overtime hours for additional pay. "Evidence of her hours spent at Winnie’s...is both highly relevant and necessary," Bookhout wrote.

Schippert remains free on pretrial conditions and appeared with Wykoff for a scheduling conference on Jan. 30. Both parties agreed to continue proceedings with another hearing set for March 18 before Kankakee County Judge William Dickenson.

The charges allege that between May 31, 2020, and July 15, 2022, Schippert stole over $100,000 from the health department through fraudulent timesheets claiming unworked hours including overtime. She allegedly made false representations to secure board approval for overtime pay using grant funds meant for COVID-19 contact tracing and retaliated against an employee who reported her conduct.

Schippert's attorneys maintain that the gambling evidence should not be considered relevant in this case.