St. Charles Man Charged with Stealing $24,000 from St. Peters Picnic Committee

A St. Charles man is being charged with stealing and forging 50 checks totaling $24,335 from the New Old Town Picnic Committee. His mother is the organization’s treasurer.

Leslie N. Findeiss, 34, told that he “stole and forged each check as he needed money for drugs” from November 2011 through February 2012, according to a police report.

He said he took the checks out one by one and made them out to himself, forged his mother’s name and cashed it to buy heroin. Findeiss was on probation for burglary and has 31 felony convictions.

Findeiss also is being charged with resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer.

When a St. Charles Community Action Team officer attempted to arrest him Feb. 29, he was getting out of a Jeep with 17- and a 5-year-old children. The officer identified himself and told Findeiss he was under arrest.

The suspect ran towards the house and when the officer grabbed him, Findeiss pulled away and then began flailing his arms, striking the officer three or four times in the head and face, according to the report. Findeiss then picked up the 5-year-old and threw him at the officer, the report reads. The officer caught the child and Findeiss ran into the house, locking the door. He then ran out the back and escaped. He was arrested later.

Several of Findeiss' family members dispute several things listed in the police report, including that Findeiss struck the officer and that he threw a child at the officer.