Former DeKalb County Board member pleads guilty to stealing thousands from Habitat for Humanity

A former DeKalb County elected official who once led the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity recently pleaded guilty to stealing more than $10,000 from the nonprofit, court records show.

He was not ordered to pay restitution, however, according to the Illinois Attorney General’s Office.

Anthony D. Cvek, 43, of Sycamore, pleaded guilty on June 10 to one charge of felony theft in connection to a 2019 charge after a Sycamore police investigation. A Class 2 felony carries a three to seven-year prison sentence, but Cvek agreed to a plea deal which carries no prison sentence, records show. The plea deal was negotiated with the Attorney General’s Office, which prosecuted the case in DeKalb County.

Sycamore police said in 2019 that the theft was uncovered through bank records.

In a statement provided to Shaw Local News Network Friday, a spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office said state prosecutors are pleased with the case’s outcome.

“In this case, the defendant was sentenced to 24 months of probation, which did not include being ordered to pay restitution because the charitable organization received an insurance payout for most of the losses they sustained,” AG Deputy Press Secretary April McLaren said.

Prosecutors said that the former president and executive director of the agency that helps people in need find homes, stole thousands of dollars between Jan. 2, 2018, and Jan. 22 of 2019. In exchange for the plea, DeKalb County Circuit Court Judge Joseph Pedersen ordered 24 months of probation for Cvek and 30 hours of community service, according to court records filed June 10.

The probation Cvek received is considered “second-chance probation,” which means if a judge determines he completed it by June 10, 2027, the theft charge will be dismissed and records expunged.

Cvek and his defense attorney, Andrew Nickel, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Habitat for Humanity staff also did not respond to requests for comment. In fall 2024, the nonprofit helped move a historic house from Sycamore to DeKalb to become a local family’s new home.

In an unrelated case, Cvek also pleaded guilty on June 10 to misdemeanor battery in connection to a 2023 sexual abuse allegation, which initially was charged as a felony, records show. He was initially charged on May 23, 2024, with criminal sexual abuse after police alleged he abused a woman in DeKalb the night of Sept. 21, 2023, according to court records.

The abuse felony was negotiated down to a misdemeanor, and Pedersen ordered Cvek to probation. The judge also ordered Cvek to undergo a sex offender evaluation, records show.

The Attorney General’s Office also negotiated that plea, records show. McLaren said state prosecutors take into consideration prior criminal convictions and possible restitution payments when negotiating plea agreements.