After a state investigation into his troubled charity, ex-Bear Chris Zorich will be required to pay back almost $350,000 in funds that remain unaccounted for and will be barred from taking a leading role in any charity in Illinois, according to a consent decree expected to be filed Tuesday.



The civil filing would cap a two-year review by the Illinois attorney general's office, prompted by Tribune reporting on the Chris Zorich Charitable Foundation. The newspaper reported in June 2010 that Zorich's charity was in disarray and that Zorich didn't have bank statements that could account for the charity's unspent funds.



During his seven NFL seasons, including six in Chicago, Zorich won accolades for helping disadvantaged children and handing out turkeys to needy families.



Zorich, 43, denied misusing any funds, according to the decree and his lawyer.



"He takes responsibility for the situation," said his attorney, Matt Lydon of Winston and Strawn. "He's committed to putting this difficulty behind him."



A judge must approve the decree, which has been agreed upon by Zorich and the attorney general's office. A draft of the decree outlines what officials discovered in records from banks, credit card companies and Zorich.



The charity's funds collectively totaled $1.47 million from May 31, 2002, through the end of 2011. From that total, $471,531 was spent for charitable expenses and standard operations, with the charity currently holding $654,383 in its accounts. That money, under the decree, will be distributed by the state for needy children.



But the attorney general's office determined that documents provided by Zorich "are not sufficient to provide a full and complete account" of the $348,447 in remaining funds. As a result, Zorich has agreed to pay that sum to the state in monthly payments over seven years. The money will be set aside to provide financial assistance to underprivileged Chicago students who attend the University of Notre Dame, in keeping with the charity's initial mission statement.



Zorich, who was named a Pro Bowl alternate in 1993, retired from the NFL in 1997. He went on to receive a law degree from Notre Dame, never passed the bar and worked for a few years in the school's athletic department. He is currently unemployed, Lydon said.



He will begin payments by drawing upon his deferred compensation from playing in the NFL.



"That will run out at some point, so it is necessary for him to get employment," Lydon said. He described the monthly payments as "an aggressive undertaking" by Zorich.



"What he's trying to do is get his life back in order," Lydon said.



If Zorich does not meet payment deadlines or doesn't complete making them after seven years, he faces fines and interest charges. "We will be monitoring the agreement and will take whatever steps that may be necessary down the road to ensure the money is paid back and put toward charitable purposes," the attorney general's office said in a statement.



Growing up on the South Side as an only child, he graduated from Chicago Vocational High School and became an all-American lineman at Notre Dame. He founded his charity in 1993, two years after being drafted by the Bears, to honor his mother, who raised him on a meager paycheck.



He is perhaps better known for his charity than his football. A few weeks before the 2010 Tribune report, he was recognized by a Chicago Croatian group for his charity work.



Tax returns generally show that his foundation was exceeding what experts suggest are minimum standards for charitable spending. But the charity developed problems around the time Zorich's cousin and the charity's executive director, Barbara Singer, was diagnosed with cancer. She eventually died in 2008.



Zorich failed to reregister the charity with the state. Its registration was canceled in 2000, yet he continued to solicit and receive contributions, the decree shows. Zorich had previously told the Tribune that the charity last accepted donations around 2005.



When the Tribune asked him in 2010 about a $10,000 lien the Internal Revenue Service had filed against him, he said he hadn't known about it. Shortly after the Tribune report, he paid it. The IRS later revoked the organization's tax-exempt status as part of its nationwide overhaul.



Lydon attributed the financial problems to "faulty and nonexistent record-keeping" pertaining to the charity's operations. Lydon said Zorich neglected the bookkeeping.



The decree states that Zorich is allowed to work or volunteer at charitable organizations but is prohibited from ever serving again as a board trustee to a charitable organization in Illinois, or holding a position at one that provides direct or indirect control over its funds.



Zorich's charity will be dissolved once its current assets are transferred.



"This agreement ensures Mr. Zorich pays back the money he could not account for," the attorney general's office said in its statement, "and ensures that every dollar from the charity is put toward organizations and causes that fulfill its mission."



jahopkins@tribune.com



Twitter @jaredshopkins