Batavia pair faces forgery, financial exploitation charges

Batavia police were tight-lipped Thursday about the arrests of two residents accused of stealing between $5,000 and $100,000 from an elderly person.

Brenda L. Waters, 47, and Michael J. Waters Sr., 48, are each charged with three counts of forgery and one count of financial exploitation of the elderly, records in Kane County Circuit Court show.

Police Cmdr. Greg Thrun said the victim is an 80-year-old relative of the suspects. Police have not determined exactly how much was taken and would not provide further details of the charges.

"At this point, we're still looking at others involved and it's still under investigation," Thrun said. "It's potentially going to go a little bit deeper than this."

The pair was arrested Wednesday at their residence on the 800 block of Morton Street, Thrun said, after an investigation aided by a "local financial institution."

Brenda Waters, who also is charged with possession of a controlled substance, was being held in the county jail Thursday with bail set at $70,000 for all charges. Michael Waters' bail was set at $100,000.

Financial exploitation of the elderly is a Class 2 felony punishable by three to seven years in prison or probation and fines.

According to court records, Brenda Waters was sentenced to two years of probation and 30 days in jail in April 2007 on a drug possession conviction. In May 2007, Michael Waters was sentenced to 30 months in prison, also for drug possession.

In addition, Michael Waters was indicted on forgery charges in October 2008. That case is pending in Kane County.

The two are scheduled to appear before Judge James C. Hallock on the exploitation charges Feb. 11.