DeKALB – The director of materials management at Northern Illinois University said the “coffee fund” where the proceeds from scrap metal salvaged from NIU-owned property has been around for 25 years, but he doesn’t know who uses the account.

Ken Pugh said he has never seen the coffee fund and does not know how much it contains, or at what bank the funds are deposited. He said he didn’t know who could make withdrawals from it or who’s authorized to use it.

NIU Record Control Supervisor Sue Zahm declined to comment Monday. A signature of the same name appeared on several canceled checks from the DeKalb Iron and Metal Company (DIMCO), written out to the coffee fund.