Judge upholds 10-year sentence for Bartlett 'con artist' who skipped court

A Bartlett woman who was given 10 years in prison for insurance fraud after she didn't show up for her own sentencing sobbed Thursday after a judge refused to reconsider the term.

Bridgette Buckner, 50, had asked to be resentenced because she was unable to make a statement when she failed to appear last month in court.

“The fact is, the defendant cannot now complain,” said DuPage County Judge John Kinsella, who found that Buckner intentionally skipped sentencing on Sept. 7.

U.S. Marshals arrested the “con artist” at her son's Elgin apartment last week, Assistant State's Attorney Helen Kapas said. Until then, Buckner had not appeared for court since June when she pleaded guilty to falsely reporting the deaths of a young daughter and her husband — who she claimed was an FBI agent — in a scheme to get $25,000 through her employer's insurance provider.

Buckner later was indicted in Cook County on a 14-count complaint alleging stole the identities of about 30 people and used them to rack up credit card debt and utility bills. That case is pending.

By law, Buckner must serve at least five years in the DuPage case before she is eligible for parole, authorities said.