Ex-Huntley trustee's wife charged with stealing from Hallmark operator

The wife of a former Huntley village trustee could face as much as seven years in prison after her arrest this week on allegations she stole thousands of dollars from a chain of Hallmark stores she operated.

Janice L. Hoeft, 53, was charged Monday with one count of felony theft claiming she took unauthorized control over between $10,000 and $100,000 belonging to former employer LorEnn Ltd.

The company, which operates Hallmarks in Huntley, South Elgin, Hoffman Estates, Buffalo Grove and Woodstock, employed Hoeft between 2001 and 2005, according to court documents.

Hoeft strongly denied the accusations Tuesday, blaming them on a personal vendetta by the chain's owners.

"It's totally false and I'm sure it will all come out that way," she said. "It's a shame that we have a system in which someone can make these kinds of claims without any proof."

Police said the charge is the result of a four-month investigation begun when the stores' owner, LorEnn Ltd., approached them with claims Hoeft illegally used company funds, Huntley Deputy Police Chief Todd Fulton said Tuesday.

"They had information that an employee, Jan Hoeft, had been using a company credit card for unauthorized purchases," Fulton said. "It is alleged she used the card for personal items."

Fulton declined to detail the purchases. But a lawsuit LorEnn filed against Hoeft earlier this year claims she used company money to pay for a cruise, a hotel in Las Vegas, shoes, home products and other personal purchases.

Police arrested Hoeft Monday at an Algonquin business she now operates and she later posted $4,000 bond to go free while the case against her is pending. She is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday on the Class 2 felony charge.

Hoeft is the wife of former Huntley Trustee Terry Hoeft.