URBANA — A Villa Grove woman has been charged with aggravated financial identity theft for allegedly opening accounts and running up bills in her own mother's name.
Deanna L. Hastings, 47, was charged Wednesday with two felony counts alleging that between January 2009 and January 2012 she opened credit card accounts in the name of her 73-year-old mother, who lives in Urbana.
"She never made the payments," said Urbana police Sgt. Dan Morgan.
Morgan said the elderly woman was recently notified that she was being sued for non-payment of a bill. When she checked further into her credit report, she found that several loans had been taken out and credit cards opened in her name without her approval as far back as 2006. Morgan said police found about $6,730 in unpaid bills that they believed were attributable to Hastings.
The woman brought the matter to the attention of police on Monday, who interviewed and arrested Hastings on Tuesday.
If convicted of the Class 2 felony, she faces penalties ranging from probation to three to seven years in prison.
Judge Rich Klaus allowed Hastings to be released on her own recognizance and gave her until March 28 to hire her own attorney.
Comments