Campton Hills Police Chief Charged in Gun Sales Scheme

Former Campton Hills police chief Steven Millar was indicted in October 2025 on 41 felony counts in a gun sales scheme that prosecutors say ran out of the village police department’s evidence room from January 2018 through February 2023. Three other current and former officers were charged alongside him. All four have been released under conditions while their cases move through Kane County Circuit Court.¹

What Prosecutors Say Happened

According to the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office, officers unlawfully sold firearms stored in the evidence room over a five-year stretch and filed or amended police reports to facilitate the sales and obstruct investigators.¹

Court records allege Millar personally sold five firearms to two private buyers on February 8, 2023. John Djukic, the village’s former police and fire commission chairman, allegedly bought three of them: a Ruger 77/22 rifle, a Sauer-Beretta shotgun, and a Browning Model BL 22 rifle. A second, unnamed buyer allegedly took a Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum handgun and a .22 caliber revolver the same day. Prosecutors say Millar altered a person-to-person transfer form and a bill of sale, and completed the transactions without observing the 72-hour waiting period Illinois law requires.²

Officer Douglas Kucik is separately accused of stealing a handgun and a revolver from the evidence room.¹

Who Was Charged and With What

A Kane County grand jury returned indictments against four people on October 16, 2025.¹

Steven Millar, 60, faces 41 counts: 22 of official misconduct, nine of forgery, five of delivering a firearm before the 72-hour waiting period expired, two of theft between $500 and $10,000, and one each of money laundering, misapplication of funds, and wire fraud. The firearm-delivery counts are Class 4 felonies; the rest are Class 3 felonies.¹ Before Campton Hills, Millar had spent 28 years with the Streamwood Police Department and became Campton Hills’ second chief in 2018.³

Scott Coryell, 57, a former officer, faces 10 counts: four of official misconduct, two of forgery, two of theft between $500 and $10,000, and one each of wire fraud and obstructing justice by destroying evidence.¹

Daniel Hatt, 65, another former officer, faces six counts: two of official misconduct and one each of money laundering, forgery, wire fraud, and obstructing justice by destroying evidence.¹

Douglas Kucik, 42, was the only defendant still on the force when charged, working as a full-time officer, certified field training officer, and evidence technician.³ He faces seven counts: two of official misconduct, two of delivering a firearm before the 72-hour waiting period, and one each of theft between $500 and $10,000, money laundering, and wire fraud.¹ The village put him on paid administrative leave soon after.⁴

What the Charges Carry

Most of the counts against all four defendants are Class 3 felonies. In Illinois a Class 3 felony is punishable by two to five years in prison, with an extended term reaching ten years, followed by one year of mandatory supervised release.⁵ The firearm-delivery counts and the evidence-destruction counts are Class 4 felonies, which carry lighter penalties.

How the Case Surfaced

The investigation began after someone brought concerns about Millar to Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser, who referred the matter to the Illinois State Police Special Investigations Division. State police searched Millar’s office and the evidence room on May 25, 2023, and questioned him for several hours in late June.⁶

Investigators found the department’s evidence room software did not support chain-of-custody tracking and that no video recorded the property room. An inventory review turned up anomalies: a gun listed as destroyed was later located in the department armory, and a firearm from a 2008 case had gone missing by a 2018 inventory.⁶

The village put Millar on paid administrative leave on July 6, 2023. He resigned on January 22, 2024, roughly twenty months before the indictments were unsealed.⁷

Where the Case Stands

All four defendants surrendered to the Kane County Sheriff’s Office on October 16, 2025. None of the charges qualify for pretrial detention under Illinois law, so they were released on conditions that include surrendering firearms, having no contact with co-defendants, and staying in Illinois without court permission.¹

At a December 12, 2025 hearing before Circuit Judge David Kliment, Kucik was arraigned and pleaded not guilty.⁸⁹ The other three did not enter pleas that day. Arraignments for Millar and Hatt were set for January 23, 2026, and Coryell’s for January 30, 2026.

Millar’s attorney, Matt McQuaid, has denied the allegations. During the investigation he said Millar “is surprised and deeply disappointed with these unsubstantiated and politically motivated attempts to assassinate his character and impugn his integrity,” and that Millar “has only selflessly served his community” over more than 30 years in law enforcement.¹⁰ After the indictments, McQuaid said Millar “committed no crime” and “looks forward to a trial and to be exonerated.”⁴ No public statements have been reported from attorneys for the other three defendants. All four are presumed innocent.

Changes at the Department

Sergeant James Levand was named interim chief on July 14, 2023, and sworn in as permanent chief on February 20, 2024.¹¹¹² Responding to the indictments, the village said it had “cooperated fully” with state police and that under Levand the department had “implemented enhanced procedures for evidence management and internal oversight to ensure continued accountability and transparency.”⁴

1
Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office. Indictments Unsealed Against Former Campton Hills Police Chief and Officers
2
Shaw Local News Network. Former Campton Hills Police Chief Allegedly Sold 5 Guns to 2 People, Records
3
Daily Herald. Ex-Campton Hills Police Chief Steven Millar Charged With Money Laundering, Gun Crime
4
ABC7 Chicago. Ex-Campton Hills Police Chief, 2 Officers, 1 Current Cop Accused of Illegally Selling Guns From Evidence Room
5
Illinois General Assembly. 730 ILCS 5/5-4.5-40 – Class 3 Felony
6
Chicago Tribune. Campton Hills Police Chief Probe Includes Missing Guns in Evidence Room, Records Show
7
Shaw Local News Network. Embattled Campton Hills Police Chief Steven Millar Resigns
8
Shaw Local News Network. Campton Hills Police Officer Pleads Not Guilty to Felony Charges
9
Daily Herald. Cases Against Campton Hills Ex-Chief, Officers Continued
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Shaw Local News Network. Ex-Campton Hills Police Chief Steven Millar Charged With 41 Felonies Connected to Illegal Gun Sales
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Shaw Local News Network. Campton Hills Approve Interim Police Chief Appointment After Closed Session Meeting
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ABC7 Chicago. Campton Hills Police Chief James Levand