The Village of Dolton claims Fifth Third Bank enabled the village’s disgraced former Mayor Tiffany Henyard to “steal” $1.9 million in public funds over at least one year.Between April 2022 and May 2023, the bank cashed 251 checks to village vendors that were signed by Henyard but not signed by Village Clerk Alison Key, as required by a village ordinance, according to a lawsuit filed Feb. 6 in Cook County court.The lawsuit was filed by the village and names only Fifth Third Bank as the defendant. It seeks to reclaim the roughly $1.9 million in “misappropriated” funds through the fraudulent checks.A spokesperson for the village declined to comment further on the lawsuit, citing the ongoing litigation. A spokesperson for Fifth Third Bank also declined to comment.Henyard served one term as the south suburban mayor, from May 2021 to May 2025, after Mayor Jason House won in a landslide election to unseat her. Her tenure was mired in controversy, as she faced multiple investigations into alleged mismanagement of village funds.Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot conducted a noncriminal investigation that found Henyard mishandled the village’s money through “excessive” spending with “very little oversight.” That probe examined payments to vendors without approval, which is the focus of the village’s recent lawsuit, as well as village employees’ trips to Las Vegas and Henyard’s use of federal relief funds through the American Rescue Plan Act.Henyard was also a focus of a federal investigation into a $200,000 payment to a controversial contractor whose owner was sentenced to five years in federal prison on bribery charges in 2024.The lawsuit accuses Fifth Third Bank of violating "reasonable banking standards.” It claims the bank breached its contract with the village, acted with negligence, violated Illinois’ Uniform Commercial Code, breached an implied contract, and aided and abetted Henyard’s misuse of funds.The village has incurred debt and interest as a result of the lost money, the lawsuit claims.A court date is scheduled for April 6. ...read more read less