A 60-year-old Batavia woman has been charged with stealing more than $1.5 million from two employers over a 8-year period beginning in 2016.
On Friday, DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and West Chicago Chief of Police Colin Fleury announced that the defendant has been charged two counts of Theft Exceeding $1 Million Dollars (a Class X Felony) and one count of Theft Exceeding $500,000 not Exceeding $1,00,000 (Class 1 Felony).
Officers with the West Chicago Police Department arrested the defendant Thursday afternoon at her home without incident. As the charges against her are non-detainable, she was released the same day on her own recognizance.
According to prosecutors, between March 24, 2016, and June 14, 2022, while employed at Lorusso Cement Contractors, the defendant stole more than $1 million through “a series of related acts in furtherance of a single intention and design.” Subsequently, the defendant allegedly stole more than $500,000 in a similar fashion between December 16, 2021, and July 5, 2024, while employed at Swallow Construction Corporation.
The alleged thefts were uncovered by Lorusso Cement Contractors, who contacted the West Chicago Police Department.
“It is alleged that [the defendant] took advantage of the trust placed in her by her former employers to line her own pockets with more than $1.5 million of their money,” Berlin said. “White collar crimes can be extremely difficult to detect with the accused often having first-hand knowledge about the business’s financial procedures and protocols. These crimes cause great financial hardship to the business which often trickles down to employees in the form of reduced wages, lost hours or even lost jobs.”
The defendant’s next court appearance is scheduled for October 15, 2026, in front of Judge Brian Telander.
