A suburban trustee who lost his job when his felony convictions became public says he wants his job back.
Larry Sapp says he wants people to know the truth about his past.
He also says he wants his job back.
An Army veteran, Sapp says he suffered a sexual assault in the military in his early 20s.
Not knowing how to cope, he says he turned to drugs.
He was convicted twice – for possession of crack cocaine and would serve time in prison.
Decades later and drug free, Sapp became a trustee on the Sauk Village Board in 2021. However, he was recently removed from his position– after the Cook County State’s Attorney office learned about his past. In September, a Cook County judge ruled that he be removed from the Village Board.
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A felony conviction means he was ineligible to hold municipal office. He wants Gov. J.B. Pritzker to grant him a pardon or to restore his full rights as a citizen so he would be eligible to hold public office.
“I am not trying to make an excuse for the crime or drug abuse – I was just trying to run from my monsters,” said Sapp. “But I should have been allowed to stay – I have been doing the right thing for last 24 years in serving and helping others. I want people to know my story and that this law is an unfair practice.
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Sapp is collecting signatures right now to run for trustee again next year.
