Jacksonville Woman Receives Probation In FIICU Theft Case

By Benjamin Cox on August 10, 2020 at 2:18pm

A Jacksonville woman has gotten probation after a years-long case involving theft from the Springfield-based Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities.

66 year old Penny Stockton plead guilty last Monday to theft from her employer. She was sentenced to 2-year’s probation and to pay $90,000 restitution.

Stockton’s sister, Cynthia Fuchs, was sentenced in December to seven years in prison. Court documented-testimony showed Fuchs took at least $375,000 over seven years. She had been paid more than $100,000 a year as the federation’s vice president for administrative services. Stockton served as an administrative assistant for the federation since 2004. Both were fired with cause in 2017 after an internal investigation by the federation, according to a statement from Federation President Dave Tretter in July 2019.

According to reports, the women combined to allegedly steal a half million dollars between 2010 through 2017. According to the State-Journal Register, Stockton fully cooperated with authorities. According to Sangamon County State’s Attorney Dan Wright, the disposition given by the court was appropriate due to Stockton’s cooperation and lack of previous criminal history.

Tretter told the Journal Register today that the organization has received $75,000 in restitution from Stockton and is expecting the other $15,000 she owed from the bond she had paid.