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Forensic auditors report progress, say digitization will enable transaction-level review
Summary
Green Forensics told the Manteno board they have digitized bank documents and are analyzing transactions across 36 bank accounts; auditors expect a draft forensic report by mid-January after tying transactions to ledgers and reviewing transfers between accounts.
Green Forensic Accounting Solutions LLP updated the Village of Manteno on Nov. 17, 2025, on the status of a six-year forensic engagement and said a draft report is expected by mid-January.
Jim Edmondstone told trustees the engagement team has retrieved and digitized bank statements and other records, and is using optical-character recognition and other tools to convert PDFs into searchable data. "We work from the bank accounts backwards to the general ledger," Edmondstone said, noting the village currently has 36 bank accounts under review — a relatively large number for Mantenos size — and that some accounts show low activity while others hold significant balances.
Edmondstone said digitization will allow auditors to identify unusual months or spikes and then tie specific transactions to supporting documents. He described limits the team faced when a former bank changed document access practices but said banks ultimately provided needed PDFs at no cost to the village. He said the team aims to complete digitization by the end of the month and produce a draft report that will be reviewed with the village administrator and mayor.
Trustees asked whether auditors encountered roadblocks. Edmondstone said they have not been prevented from obtaining materials. Trustees pressed about the administrative rationale for multiple accounts and whether fund protections (FDIC, state fund membership) and transfers between accounts will create exposures; Edmondstone said those issues will be detailed in the report.
The board did not receive conclusions at the meeting; Edmondstone emphasized the next step is analysis after digitization and that the draft report will note whether check payees were derived directly from bank copies or from village records.
The village retained Green Forensics for the engagement; the auditors said they will meet with village administration when the draft is ready for internal review and then walk trustees through findings in January.
