37 workers at state-run developmental center targeted in PPP fraud probe

At Ludeman Developmental Center in Park Forest, 37 employees have been fired, resigned or face pending disciplinary action after a state watchdog found that they defrauded a federal pandemic-era small business loan program.The employees who work at the state-run developmental center in south suburban Cook County include 32 mental health technicians – about 6 percent of frontline workers with that job – three residential services supervisors, one habilitation program coordinator and a licensed practical nurse.A spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Human Services, the agency that runs the 383-bed residential center for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, confirmed these additional details late last week.Neil Olson, the general counsel for the Illinois Office of the Executive Inspector General, previously confirmed to Capitol News Illinois that dozens of employees of state agencies and other entities under the OEIG’s jurisdiction are the subjects of an ongoing...