Man charged with theft from St. Peter School arraigned in Adams County Circuit Court

QUINCY — A former employee at St. Peter School in Quincy was admonished in Adams County Circuit Court during his arraignment on Wednesday morning.

Kim L. Sandegren, 29, appeared with Public Defender Betsy Bier before Judge Holly Henze. He has been charged with two counts of theft of property exceeding $10,000 and not exceeding $100,000 in value. One of the counts is a Class 2 felony, punishable for between three and seven years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

The other count is a Class 1 felony because the theft was committed in a school or place of worship. A person found guilty of a Class 1 felony by a jury could receive a sentence to the Illinois Department of Corrections of four to 15 years.

Henze told Sandegren he was eligible on each count for problem-solving court, conditional discharge or probation for up to 48 months. He would be eligible for day-for-day credit, under Illinois’ truth in sentencing laws, if sentenced to prison.

She also advised Sandegren of his rights, ending with, “You have the right to be present at all court appearances, hearings and trial, and you have the right to plead not guilty. Do you believe you understand your rights?”

“Yes, Your Honor,” he replied.

Henze, however, did not ask for a guilty or not guilty plea on Wednesday. Instead, she set Aug, 14 for a status hearing during which Sandegren could enter his plea.

The Quincy Police Department began an investigation in May 2023 into the theft of several thousand dollars that occurred at St. Peter School. As part of that investigation, a warrant was issued for Sandegren, who lived in Quincy at the time and was employed by the school as its information technology coordinator. 

Sandegren had left the area. Assisted with information from the Adams County State’s Attorney’s Office, members of the Quincy Police Department contacted investigators with the police department in Madison, Ala., about 10 miles southwest of Huntsville. Detectives with Madison Police took Sandegren into custody without incident on the afternoon of April 16. He was lodged in the Madison County Jail and was extradited to Illinois.

According to his LinkedIn page, Sandegren was employed at St. Peter from May 2020 through March 2023.