Crime & Law
Ex-Suburban Schools Chief Charged With Using District Credit Card on Adult Websites, Golf Purchases
(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)
The former head of a southwest suburban school district is facing criminal charges alleging he used a district credit card to cover $10,000 in personal expenses, including adult websites, golf equipment and Visa gift cards, according to Cook County prosecutors.
William Toulios, 46, the former superintendent of Argo Community High School District 217 in suburban Summit, appeared in court Friday on multiple charges including theft of government property, forgery and official misconduct.
He pleaded not guilty during a hearing at the Cook County Courthouse in Bridgeview and was released pending trial.
“Every dollar entrusted to a school district is meant to support students, classrooms and educational opportunities — not personal expenses,” Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke said in a statement. “Public officials who abuse taxpayer resources for their own personal gain are not above the law.”
An investigation by Illinois State Police found that between February 2021 and March 2024, Toulios allegedly used a district-issued credit card to make more than $10,000 in unauthorized purchases, according to prosecutors.
Those allegedly included more than $4,000 on adult-content websites, more than $4,000 on golf equipment and more than $5,000 in Visa gift cards, some of which were used to finance additional adult website expenses and other personal purchases, prosecutors said.
Toulios then allegedly submitted a fraudulent invoice to a subordinate employee and directed them to create additional fake invoices in an effort to conceal the illegal spending.
Argo Community High School has an enrollment of more than 1,700 students across grades 9-12, according to state records. School leaders did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
Toulios reportedly resigned his position last November after allegations of his illicit purchases were made public.
He is due back in court for a hearing Aug. 24, 2026.
