Partner took money to pay taxes, go on trips, lawyers claim
An Illinois litigator has been accused of taking at least $348,000 from her law firm and spending it on various things, including about $80,000 to pay her federal taxes, Disney World vacations and ax throwing. (Image from Shutterstock)
An Illinois litigator has been accused of taking at least $348,000 from her law firm and spending it on various things, including about $80,000 to pay her federal taxes, Disney World vacations and ax throwing.
The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission filed a complaint in August against Leslie Joy Allred, a former Joliet Area Young Professional of the Year.
The complaint alleges that the firm credit account statements were addressed to Allred, who made monthly payments through the firm’s operating account. As of Aug. 18, she had not paid the money back, the according to the complaint.
Allred was the managing partner and a co-owner of a firm “that until May 2025 was named O’Dekirk, Allred & Rhodes,” according to the complaint. The state attorney registration page lists her bar status as retired.
Bob O’Dekirk, a former mayor of Joliet, Illinois, was one of Allred’s law partners. He told the Joliet Patch that he and his partner made the bar complaint.
She was also included in the National Trial Lawyers Association Top 100 Criminal Defense Attorneys, according to an article on the Will County Bar Association website.
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