Sources: Gliniewicz family involved in "sham marriage" to boost military benefits for son

FOX LAKE, Illinois -- Investigators at WGN have learned the Gliniewicz family may have taken part in a "sham marriage" in an effort to boost military benefits for the Fox Lake police lieutenant's son.

Lt. Joe Gliniewicz

Sources tell WGN Investigates officials were briefed about that possibility prior to the news conference on Wednesday morning, November 4th during which officials with the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force revealed Lt. Joe Gliniewicz's death was a "carefully staged suicide."

On the morning of September 1, the lieutenant sent word over his radio at 7:52 a.m. he was pursuing the trio on foot. Three minutes later, he requested backup. Radio communication dropped off. Colleagues would not hear Gliniewicz's voice again.

The backups arrived at about 8 a.m. and a few minutes later found Gliniewicz dead. His body was roughly 50 yards from his cruiser, police said.

Three people who appeared in a surveillance video near the crime scene were eventually cleared of any suspicion.

Lt. Gliniewicz's "staged suicide" occurred after the Fox Lake Village Administrator, Anne Marrin, began an audit for all of Fox Lake's assets, investigators say.

Lake County Major Task Force investigators say Gliniewicz was nervous that the audit would uncover his embezzlement of funds from the Fox Lake Explorers program, which he led.

Lt. Joe Gliniewicz

Now, WGN investigators have learned through sources information about the possible "sham marriage" was gathered as investigators looked into the lieutenant's life as they investigated his death.

Sources tell WGN Lt. Gliniewicz, who was married, had an affair with a woman.

He later arranged to have that woman marry his son, D.J. Gliniewicz, who is in the Army, in order to boost the military benefits for D.J., since being married could add up to thousands more per year.

WGN is reporting that the marriage did not last long between D.J. and a woman named Kathryn Grams.

The marriage was dissolved just after Christmas, 2014, according to WGN.

Lt. Joe Gliniewicz's wife, Mel makes remarks at his vigil

Late on Wednesday, November 4th, sources told WGN in Chicago Gliniewicz's widow, Melodie and his son, D.J. are under criminal investigation, to determine whether they had any part in the embezzling scheme.