Not guilty plea in Lincolnshire theft case

A Chicago woman pleaded not guilty Thursday in Lake County circuit court to charges she stole $6,000 from a retirement account managed by Hewitt and Associates in Lincolnshire.

Shawanda Baker, 33, faces up to seven years in prison if convicted of aggravated identity theft.

Assistant State's Attorney Mary Stanton said a 74-year-old man in Oklahoma contacted Hewitt in December when he noticed $6,000 had been withdrawn from his 401(k) account.

Hewitt officials traced the transaction to Baker, Stanton said, and Lincolnshire police were called to investigate.

Detectives traced the money to a bank account controlled by Demetrius Wyatt, an associate of Baker. Wyatt, 34, also of Chicago, withdrew the money in two transactions on Dec. 15 and Dec. 18, Stanton said.

Police searched Baker's desk at Hewitt and discovered two notebooks containing personal information and passwords for accounts of other Hewitt customers, Stanton said, but no other accounts are believed to have been compromised.

Wyatt has pleaded not guilty to charges of wire fraud and money laundering and is due to appear in court April 12.

Circuit Judge Fred Foreman ordered Baker to appear in court April 28.