Attorney General investigates Ford Heights municipal hall

FORD HEIGHTS, Ill. - Investigators with the Illinois attorney general's office were at the Ford Heights Municipal Hall Thursday as authorities provided few details about an apparent investigation.

Ford Heights investigation

The backstory:

The Cook County Sheriff's Office confirmed that the activity at the municipal building was part of an attorney general investigation. Several investigators were seen going in and out of the building before activity appeared to slow.

The Cook County Sheriff's Office blocked off the street in front of the municipal building for a period of time, but the road was later reopened.

The attorney general's office had not responded to requests for information about what prompted the investigation or what it involves.

The FBI also was contacted about the activity. The agency said it was not involved and directed questions to state officials.

Current Ford Heights Mayor Freddie Wilson, who was appointed in September 2024, was not identified as a target of the investigation. An investigator at the scene told a reporter he could not comment because he did not know what was happening. When asked whether the investigation was connected to the previous mayor's criminal case, he indicated it was not related to him.

Wilson became mayor after former Mayor Charles Griffin was convicted of misusing village funds. Griffin was found guilty of theft or unauthorized control of government property involving more than $10,000, as well as two counts of official misconduct.

The investigation comes nearly two years after Wilson was appointed to replace Griffin.

One resident said she has experienced violence and other hardships in Ford Heights and believes residents need to speak out about problems in the village.

"This is sad. It's real sad," she said. 

The resident also described losing children to gang violence and said she was forced to move to Chicago after receiving little support following damage to her apartment during a tornado.

There was also a separate issue involving the village's website. Attempts to access the Ford Heights municipal website showed a message indicating the domain had expired.

What we don't know:

The attorney general's office had not provided details about the investigation, leaving questions about what prompted the activity and whether any potential charges or other actions could follow.

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