Cary woman charged with selling ex-boyfriend's boat

After Kathleen Helman's former boyfriend left the state and took up with another woman, the Cary woman found an unusual way to get even, according to recently filed charges in McHenry County.

She sold his boat and kept the profits for herself.

Now Helman, 51, is facing a felony theft charge that could land in prison for up to seven years.

County authorities issued a $40,000 arrest warrant for Helman this week on the accusation that culminates a two-year investigation into the boat sale.

Helman was not in custody as of late Wednesday and police believe she is out of state.

McHenry County Sheriff's Sgt. Michael Cisner said the investigation began in June 2006 when the boat's owner and his new girlfriend returned to Illinois from Arizona to check on property and belongings he had left behind.

When they discovered the 1993 Yamaha boat and its trailer missing, they went to the bank that financed its purchase, believing it may have been repossessed, Cisner said. Instead, they discovered that it had been sold.

Cisner said the subsequent investigation revealed that Helman listed the boat for sale online and eventually sold it for $21,000 to a Minnesota man, forging title documents in the process to complete the sale.

"This innocent guy from Minnesota ended up buying a boat that was sold off a forged title," Cisner said.

Ultimately, Cisner said, the Minnesota man was able to keep the boat.