Charges mount for Bartlett women who lied about deaths

A Bartlett woman who admitted making up a story about the deaths of her daughter and supposed FBI agent husband in a bizarre insurance scam was indicted again Wednesday — this time on charges she stole the identities of 29 people across the country.

Bridgette Buckner, 50, was charged by a Cook County grand jury with 14 counts of theft-related offenses, authorities said.

Buckner is accused of using the names, addresses, dates of birth, and social security numbers of 29 people to rack up about $30,000 in debt between September 2008 and August 2010. Authorities said she used the information to access credit cards and ComEd and Nicor accounts.

On Wednesday, a judge issued a no-bond warrant for Buckner's arrest after she failed to appear in Cook County court for her scheduled arraignment.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office, which is prosecuting the case, said Buckner's latest indictment was investigated by the postal service. She faces charges of continuing a financial crimes enterprise, identity theft, financial institution fraud, theft by deception and mail fraud.

Buckner currently is awaiting sentencing in DuPage County after pleading guilty in June to fraud charges. In that case, prosecutors said she concocted stories that her young daughter and husband died months apart in a scheme to receive $25,000 in insurance payouts through her employer.

Buckner was charged in the DuPage case after she told an insurance claim investigator in 2008 that her FBI agent husband had been shot in the line of duty. Coincidentally, the investigator was a former FBI agent who quickly determined the claim was false. Prosecutors said she also fabricated a death certificate for a young daughter she claimed had also died.

Buckner faces probation or three to seven years in prison at sentencing next week in DuPage. However, her defense attorney says he was unable to reach Buckner after she missed her court appearance in Cook and is unsure what to expect at sentencing in DuPage.

“I have no information as to where she is. I know her cellphone has been disconnected and her other contact, her mother, has not answered,” Matthew Hachigian said. “I can only hope she shows up for sentencing. It's my hope that we get probation, but I'm not sure with her new arrest.”