Mundelein women charged with attempted forgery

One of two Mundelein women police say were just a spell-checker away from some ill-gotten gains pleaded not guilty Friday in Lake County circuit court.

Nina Davis, 26, faces up to five years in prison if convicted of forgery.

Assistant State’s Attorney George Pappas said Davis, of the 200 block of Hawthorne Blvd., and Emilie Hitzke, 25, of the 600 block of High Street, were arrested Dec. 11 by Mundelein police.

Pappas said the pair went into a convenience store on Seymour Street and tried to cash what appeared to be payroll checks.

Davis had a check in the amount of $796, Pappas said, while Hitzke’s was made out for $789.

The clerk at the store did not like the look of the checks, Pappas said, and called for police to investigate.

The officer who arrived noted the checks had been issued to the women by Landry’s “Restaruants,” and smelled a rat, Pappas said.

A telephone call to the Houston, Tx.-based chain confirmed that company officials knew they were in the “restaurant” business and their payroll checks spell it correctly.

Both women were taken into custody and are being held on $50,000 bond.

Davis is also charged with writing 27 checks between Aug. 20 and Oct. 19 of last year against the account of a Mundelein man who lost his checkbook, Pappas said.

The total of the checks was $1,510, and Davis faces additional counts of forgery in that case.

Davis is scheduled to appear in court again Feb. 10, while Hitzke’s next court date is Jan. 31.