Woman gets probation after pleading guilty to felony theft

A DuPage County judge has sentenced a Warrenville woman to two years of probation for fraudulently collecting more than $20,000 through a Paycheck Protection Program loan while employed by the Illinois Tollway, Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office said Friday.

Krystal D. Britten, 53, pleaded guilty to felony theft of government property by deception. DuPage Judge Daniel Guerin also ordered her to pay back the loan. She paid $20,829 in restitution at the time of her sentencing, according to an attorney general’s news release.

Raoul’s office said Britten applied for and received a PPP loan in May 2021 from the U.S. Small Business Administration by falsely claiming she operated a sole proprietorship business. The SBA later forgave the loan after Britten submitted fraudulent documents claiming she had used the funds in compliance with PPP loan requirements, the news release said.

Last month, Raoul’s office announced charges against 15 government employees for PPP loan fraud.