Dolton is looking to reclaim almost $2 million from a bank it says failed to take proper steps to identify fraudulent checks signed by former Mayor Tiffany Henyard.

The village is suing Fifth Third Bank, claiming it acted in bad faith by allowing Henyard to sign 251 checks  between April 2022 and May 2023 that did not include the signature of Clerk Alison Key, as was required under a resolution approved by the Village Board. Henyard herself is not listed as a defendant in the lawsuit.

“Fifth Third Bank … knowingly and intentionally paid checks on behalf of the Village of Dolton that it knew should not have been paid,” the lawsuit, filed Feb. 6 in Cook County, states.

Henyard, was mayor from May 2021 through May 2025. The lawsuit says Henyard “stole or misappropriated” about $1.9 million by signing payments to vendors with checks from the village that were missing Key’s signature.

A quorum of village trustees began meeting on their own in 2022, noting contracts Henyard signed with vendors without authorization of the Village Board and seeking to curb spending.

The loss of funds led the village to incur multiple debts, taking on interest payments from those debts, and to miss out on investments, according to the lawsuit. The village is looking to all of the allegedly misappropriated or stolen funds from Fifth Third.

The lawsuit alleges the bank, under contract with Dolton, violated both a village resolution passed May 12, 2021, and reasonable commercial banking standards by paying the checks to vendors.

ostevens@chicagotribune.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/12/dolton-lawsuit-tiffany-henyard-fifth-third-bank/