Joliet Woman Stole Over $90K From Homer Glen Business: Cops

HOMER GLEN, IL - A Joliet woman has been arrested after she was accused of using a company credit card for her personal use and writing several unauthorized checks, according to the Will County Sheriff's Office. Lynda Bibian, 32, has been charged with theft, identity theft, aggravated identity theft over age 60 and two counts of forgery. Additional charges are also expected, police said. Her bond has been set at $75,000.

In November 2018, police said deputies were called to Jimenez Landscaping in Homer Glen where they spoke to the owners who said they believed a former employee, Bibian, had used the company card for personal use and wrote unauthorized checks. Bibian was hired in May 2017 as an assistant to the office manager and was eventually given additional responsibilities associated with the financial end of the company.

According to the sheriff's office, the owners reported that while attempting to cancel the credit card in October 2018 they realized hundreds of unknown charges had been made on it. The owners said that the credit card was originally issued to one of them and to a family member who had worked at the company before passing away. After contacting the credit company, the owners learned that from October 2017 to October 2018 there were over 357 itemized charges on the account. The company believed the charges were made by the owner or the family member; but it is now believed that Bibian took over the deceased family member's identity.

Police said the transaction report revealed charges in excess of $44,000 from multiple gas stations, restaurants, rent payments, department stores, Amazon, hair and nail salons, airline tickets, Uber rides, limousine services, Ticketmaster, and other various businesses.

Bibian was fired from the company on Oct. 8, 2018. Through an investigation, Will County Sheriff's detectives, working with the owners, also discovered that Bibian had increased her hourly pay rate on more than one occasion, had written thousands of dollars in unauthorized checks to herself, and wrote thousands of dollars from the Jimenez Landscaping to pay for personal expenses such as dermatology and medical bills. Police said initial reports indicate those totals in excess of $54,000.

Bibian was brought in for questioning on April 4. Police said Bibian made statements implicating herself, and she also acknowledged having a history of committing financial crimes in the past.