Spring Grove woman denies stealing $81,000 from insurance company

A Spring Grove woman pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges she stole $81,157 in just over four months from the insurance company that employed her. Traci Bielawski, 39, faces up to seven years in prison if convicted of felony theft and forgery.

Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Steven Derue said Bielawski, of the 9000 block of Alamonte Drive, was a legal secretary for American Family Insurance in Vernon Hills.

Part of her responsibilities involved writing checks on company accounts to third parties, Derue said.

Between Aug. 23 and Dec. 30, police said, Bielawski sent company checks totaling $81,157 to the bank holding the mortgage on her house, the preschool her children attended and her personal bank account.

Company officials discovered the checks after an audit was ordered because of extraordinarily high expenses in the legal department. Derue said American Family internal investigators confronted Bielawski with the evidence on Jan. 11 and the case was turned over to Vernon Hills police after she admitted taking the money.

Circuit Judge John Phillips scheduled a trial for July 11 and ordered Bielawski, who is free on $1,000 bond, to appear in court again June 29.