Jail time and probation for Ray Graham thefts
A Chicago woman was sentenced to a combination of jail and probation for stealing Illinois Link Cards from two disabled residents of Lisle's Ray Graham Association.
Nakarria L. Bell, 31, of the 1500 block of North Mayfield Street, pleaded guilty last month to two counts of aggravated identity theft.
Judge Robert Kleeman sentenced Bell to 180 days in DuPage County jail, three years of probation and to pay $566.89 in restitution. She gets credit for the 44 days served since her arrest.
"This was not a mistake, not a spur of the moment decision made in a moment of weakness. This was a well thought out plan by the defendant to betray the trust of her employer and the very people she was employed to protect,"Assistant State's Attorney Diane Michalak told Kleeman. "She thought about it, debated about it and decided her need was more important than the people she was employed to protect and she knew better and did it anyway."
Michalak said Bell worked as an administrator in the association's corporate office in Lisle.
Naperville police began investigating the theft on Nov. 5, 2013, after a Link Card was reported missing from a safe at one of the Ray Graham Association's satellite homes in their city.
Several weeks later, Downers Grove police began investigating a card reported stolen from another Ray Graham satellite facility in their town.
"The defendant reported feeling increased stress and excessive worry and anxiety and that those feelings began when she made the decision to commit the offense," Michalak said. "They apparently weren't enough to stop her from taking another Link card from another facility and another resident over a month after she did it the first time."
Michalak said the victims have functional age equivalents of 5- and 2-year-olds respectively.
Michalak said Bell, in her capacity as an administrator, had access to the safes at the association's satellite homes. They say that at some point before Oct. 27, 2013, Bell opened the safe at the Naperville location and took an Illinois Link Card. Between Nov. 24 and Nov. 27, 2013, Bell also is accused of opening the safe at the Downers Grove location and taking a Link Card.
Bell is accused of using both cards to purchase a total of about $600 in groceries and gasoline.
Bell will serve half of her 180-day sentence and will be released in 45 days.