NAPERVILLE WOMAN GETS EIGHT YEARS FOR THEFT FROM EMPLOYERS

WHEATON - DuPage County State’s Attorney Joe Birkett announced today that Sonia N. Velazquez, 45 (d.o.b. 4/2/1962), of 724 Inland Drive, Naperville, was sentenced to eight years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for stealing more than $175,000 from two of her former employers.  On February 19, 2008, Velazquez entered a plea of guilty to one count of Theft in Excess of $100,000, a Class 1 Felony, and one count of Theft in Excess of $10,000, a Class 2 Felony, in front of Judge Kathryn Creswell.   Velazquez also faced Violation of Bail Bond charges, a Class 3 Felony.

The sentence is the result of allegations that from March 2003 through September 2006, Velazquez embezzled $179,071.91 from the two companies, Wiseman-Hughes Enterprises in Wheaton and the Lennar Homes Corporation in Hoffman Estates.  While employed at Wiseman-Hughes, Velazquez stole $21,532 by forging the company name on contractor rebate checks and depositing the money into her personal bank account.  While employed at the Lennar Corporation, Velazquez stole sixty-two unauthorized checks, totaling $157,539.91, from the company bank account and again deposited the money into her own personal account.  In April 2007, an arrest warrant was issued for Velazquez who had fled the country once her scheme unraveled.  On November 20, 2007, Velazquez was arrested by the FBI in her native Puerto Rico and extradited to Illinois.

   “For three and one half years Ms. Velazquez helped herself to company funds,” commented Birkett.  “Her actions caused great hardship to these companies and their employees.  I would like to thank Assistant State’s Attorney Helen Kapas-Erdman, the Wheaton Police Department, particularly Detectives Dave Zdan and Steve Hamill, as well as the FBI for their assistance in helping us put an end to Ms. Velazquez’s scheme.”

In addition to her prison sentence, Velazquez was also ordered to pay full restitution to her victims.

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