Former longtime DeKalb County employee Gary Hanson, who worked for almost 40 years in various roles, including as the county’s top finance staffer and top executive, has been accused of illegally destroying public records and other misconduct, a 15-count felony indictment handed down by a grand jury Friday shows.
Hanson, who served as county administrator from Dec. 2, 2012 to Dec. 31, 2020, was charged Friday with 10 counts of altering and destroying public records, a Class 4 felony, according to DeKalb County court records. He’s also charged with five counts of official misconduct.
If convicted, he could face up to three years in prison, or an extended sentence of up to six years at a judge’s discretion.
As administrator, the government’s top executive role, Hanson would have had access to entire departmental budgets and employee records, among other documents. The county government oversees the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, DeKalb County Health Department, DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office, and other departments.
In his capacity as administrator, Hanson also would have had a hand in responding to public records requests filed through the Freedom of Information Act and been in charge of presenting information to inform DeKalb County Board votes at meetings.
Before he was administrator, Hanson worked as the county’s Finance Director from Nov. 14, 1983 to 2012, records show.
Public DeKalb County property records show Hanson appears to still live in the area. He could not immediately be reached for comment Friday night.
He has not yet appeared in court before a judge on the charges. He was given a notice to appear and not booked into DeKalb County jail per the SAFE-T Act, according to court records.
Detailed court records outlining the charges were not immediately available Friday night. It remains unclear what records are alleged to have been destroyed.
But a preliminary search showed Hanson was charged Friday and is expected to appear before a judge at 9 a.m. Oct. 14.
The investigation and prosecution were undertaken without the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office. Instead, Lisle-based assistant state’s attorney Patrick Provenzale has been appointed as special prosecutor in the case against Hanson, records show.
Hanson’s charges date back to an investigation that began into his conduct on Oct. 1, 2019, according to court records.
At the time of his retirement Dec. 31, 2020, he was praised by multiple elected and non-elected officials who heralded his longstanding commitment to public service.
The DeKalb County Board proclaimed a Gary H. Hanson Day. The proclamation stated that Hanson always had “a vision for the future” and “had always been mindful of taxpayers’ dollars.”
“I tried to remember and live by those words during my eight years as county administrator, and I truly hope that I met those expectations during all of my years in the county,” Hanson said at his final County Board meeting in 2020 in response to the accolades he received.
While a search for Hanson’s successor was underway, he was allowed to stay on in an interim capacity. The DeKalb County Board unanimously voted in late 2020 to keep Hanson employed on an interim basis between his retirement date and the starting date of his successor, with a pay rate of $92.20 per hour.
Brian Gregory, a former Sycamore city manager, was named Hanson’s successor on Jan. 20, 2021. Gregory resigned in mid-2024 to pursue other career opportunities.
In the time since, the County Board has struggled to fill the top executive role. Corey Rheinecker, of Sparta, accepted the job on June 18, but shortly after backed out before his expected Aug. 11 start date. Rheinecker told Shaw Local News Network his decision to rescind the job offer had nothing to do with any DeKalb County actions. County staffer Derek Hiland has filled the role in an interim capacity in the meantime.