Attorney convicted of stealing from law firm

A La Fox woman has been convicted of stealing $137,237 from the St. Charles law firm of Day and Tietz in 2004, it was announced Tuesday.

Ann M. Day, 52, of the 1N600 block of Harley Road, was convicted Friday by Kane County Circuit Court Judge Timothy Sheldon. Testimony was heard in May. Sheldon issued his verdict in writing.

Day was found guilty of 12 counts of theft (four of them a Class 1 felony and eight a Class 2 felony) and 16 counts of forgery (a Class 3 felony), according to the Kane County State's Attorney's Office.

Day was arrested in late February of 2005 by St. Charles police after a four-month investigation. Her law partner, Karen Tietz, called police when irregularities in the firm's accounting surfaced.

The two women had formed the firm in January 2004. They knew each other from participation at Hosanna! Lutheran Church in St. Charles, for which Day provided legal services.

From January to October 2004, Day took checks made out to the firm and altered them to make them payable to herself, including forging her partner's name. She would then deposit them in her personal account. She also wrote checks to herself from the firm's checking account and then altered the firm's ledger to misrepresent the purpose of the reimbursement. Additionally, she asked clients to make checks payable to her, not the firm.

Day faces a sentence of probation or between four and 15 years in prison. She remains free on $2,500 bond. No sentencing date has been announced.

A disciplinary case with the state Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission on whether she should be allowed to practice law is on hold until after Sheldon pronounces sentence. The ARDC lawyer overseeing that case said it is likely the commission will at least seek to have Day's license temporarily suspended while the disciplinary case proceeds. She has been registered to practice in Illinois since 1989.

Day now has her own firm. Its address is the same as her home address. A message requesting comment was left on the firm's voice mail system Tuesday afternoon. Her home phone number is unlisted.