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Lowell Woman Faces 45 Charges in Fraud Investigation Involving Merrillville Law Firm
Prosecutors say Heather Ann Textor took client payments and issued fake expungement documents, including papers with judges’ signatures, in a 45-count fraud case.
- On Thursday, police arrested 41-year-old Heather Ann Textor of Lowell, Indiana, charging her with 45 counts of fraud, forgery, and theft involving clients at a Merrillville law firm.
- A three-year investigation revealed Textor took cash payments from clients seeking expungements while working at Weiss, Schmidgall and Hires, P.C., providing falsified paperwork with forged judges' signatures instead of filing legitimate court orders.
- Victims faced arrest or jail after failing background checks due to fraudulent documents. Client Lamar Cheairs paid $980 for an expungement never completed, while others paid between $800 and $1,500 on average.
- Lake County prosecutor Bernard Carter set bail at $150,000, requiring a 10% bond of $15,000 for release. Textor remains in Lake County Jail and is due in court on October 20 for a bail hearing.
- Indiana State Police believe additional victims exist and are actively reviewing digital evidence and financial records. Sgt. Joe White of the Organized Crime and Corruption Unit asks potential victims to contact him at 219-696-6242.
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People paid to clear their criminal records but allegedly received forged court orders; after a three-year investigation, an Indiana law firm employee faces 42 felony charges and three misdemeanors
Following a lengthy three-year investigation, Heather Ann Textor, a legal secretary, has been taken into custody for alleged fraudulent activities. She is accused of forging court documents and misappropriating client funds intended for legal fees. The investigation was sparked when a local resident submitted a counterfeit expungement petition to the state police, leading to further scrutiny of suspicious transactions that funneled money into Te…
·India
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Woman charged following 3-year investigation into alleged fraud, forgery and theft of prospective law firm clients
A 37-year-old Indiana woman was arrested following a three-year investigation into a fraud scheme involving 42 felony and three misdemeanor charges.
·Fort Wayne, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources16
Leaning Left1Leaning Right3Center8Last UpdatedBias Distribution67% Center
Bias Distribution
- 67% of the sources are Center
67% Center
C 67%
R 25%
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