Former Waukegan alderman pleads guilty to forgery, official misconduct
Emily Tran, an arts enthusiast, graduated from Columbia College Chicago and has spent the last six years covering the vibrant arts scene in Chicago for local blogs and magazines. Her articles explore the intersection of culture and community.
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A former Waukegan alderman has pleaded guilty to felony forgery and official misconduct charges after prosecutors said he concealed his status as an elected official on liquor and video gaming license applications.Investigation into liquor, gaming applicationsRoudell Kirkwood, who represented Waukegan's 4th Ward from May 2019 to May 2023, agreed to a sentence of 24 months of conditional discharge in exchange for pleading guilty to three counts of forgery and one count of official misconduct, all Class 3 felonies.Kirkwood was indicted by a Lake County grand jury on July 1, 2022, following an investigation by the Illinois State Police Statewide Gaming Command and the Illinois Gaming Board.Investigators found that Kirkwood falsified liquor and video gaming license applications between 2019 and 2020 by failing to disclose that he was a member of the Waukegan City Council.At the time, Kirkwood was president of Mac Dynasty Inc., which operated a Lake County restaurant with a bar and video ga