NIU: Police Investigating Secret Fund

Northern Illinois University officials are investigating reports of an alleged secret bank account channeling thousands of dollars to several university workers.

NIU employees working at a campus physical plant allegedly sold scrap metal to a local company, which would write checks to an account known as the "coffee fund.'' University spokesman Paul Palian said the university's police department is looking into the matter:

"There is currently an investigation underway," Palian said. "It was launched Friday afternoon."

Electronic records show checks from the DeKalb Iron and Metal Company to the fund have totaled more than $13,000 dollars since 2005.

School officials say they have no record of such a fund.

A spokesperson for DeKalb Iron and Metal Company could not be reached.