Lowell, Indiana woman charged with 42 felonies for allegedly faking expungements, stealing money: news

Lowell, Indiana Woman Charged with 42 Felonies in Multi-Year Expungement Fraud Scheme

A 41-year-old Lowell, Indiana woman faces dozens of felony charges following an extensive state police investigation into an alleged fraudulent expungement scheme that spanned roughly five years.

Case Overview and Criminal Charges

Heather Anne Textor, a former employee at a Merrillville law firm, was arrested by Indiana State Police and booked into the Lake County Jail. She faces 42 felony chargesalong with three misdemeanor countsincluding:

• Forgery

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• Fraud and Counterfeiting

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• Theft

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The charges stem from accusations that Textor collected thousands of dollars from individuals seeking legal expungement of their criminal records while providing them with fabricated court orders.

Details of the Alleged Scheme

According to investigators, Textor worked the front desk and administrative operations at the Law Office of Weiss, Schmidgall and Hires, P.C. in Merrillville. Authorities allege that between 2016 and 2021, Textor:

• Accepted personal payments from individuals who believed they were retaining legitimate legal representation for criminal record expungements or driver’s license restorations.

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• Fabricated official-looking court paperwork, including forged signatures of sitting judges and unauthorized attorney names.

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• Concealed the transactions from the firm’s attorneys, who were unaware these individuals had sought services. Indiana State Police confirmed the law firm is not under criminal investigation and has cooperated fully with detectives.

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Consequences for Victims

Because the paperwork was never officially filed or approved by the court system, victims remained legally subject to their original convictions. Several individuals who believed their records had been sealed or their driving privileges restored faced serious legal repercussions, including missed court appearances, outstanding warrants, and wrongful incarceration.

Following her arrest, Textor was held on a $150,000 bond pending formal court proceedings in Lake County.