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Woman accused of $1 million embezzlement scheme

A Des Plaines woman was indicted Tuesday on charges she embezzled more than $1 million from a Glendale Heights moving company where she used to work, authorities said.

Tammy Weart, 52, was being held in the DuPage County jail on $1 million bond. She is charged with theft, financial institution fraud and continuing a financial crimes enterprise.

Prosecutors said Weart transferred funds on 96 occasions between Nov. 3, 2003 and Dec. 31, 2009, from the bank account of her former employer, Specialty Moving Systems Inc., into her own.

The alleged theft, totaling nearly $1.2 million, was uncovered by a co-worker who filled in for Weart during a leave of absence, authorities office said.

“If these allegations are proven true, for more than six years Tammy Weart used her employer's bank as her own personal piggy bank,” State's Attorney Robert Berlin said.

Weart, a former controller at the company, is accused of moving stolen funds electronically through automated transfers. Berlin credited Glendale Heights police for the investigation that unraveled the scheme and resulted in Weart's grand jury indictment.

“What makes these types of cases difficult to uncover is that oftentimes the offender is knowledgeable about his or her victim's financial business and knows how to cover their tracks,” Berlin said.

Weart would have to post a $100,000 bond to be released. She is scheduled for arraignment Monday in front of Judge Robert Kleeman.