Round Lake Park woman denies identity theft

A Round Lake Park woman pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges she used the financial information of a 72-year-old man to open utility service accounts.

Janet Dani, 48, faces up to seven years in prison if convicted of aggravated identity theft but would also be eligible for probation.

Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Reginald Mathews said the elderly Buffalo Grove man began receiving notices in August that he had overdue accounts at Nicor gas and AT&T.

The accounts were for service at Dani’s residence in the 600 block of Creekside, Mathews said, but had been established using the Buffalo Grove man’s financial information.

Dani told police she had a relationship with the Buffalo Grove man and that he had bought her a car at a Grayslake auto dealership and had paid cash for it, Mathews said.

Round Lake Park police researched the car’s history and discovered Dani had financed the purchase of the car from a Libertyville dealership in her own name.

Mathews said there is $1,300 due on the Nicor account at Dani’s residence and $389 is owed to AT&T.

Associate Judge Christopher Stride scheduled a trial of the case for April 2 and ordered Dani, who is free on a signature bond, to appear in court March 7.