Woman who stole credit card to buy sperm samples gets jail time
A pregnant Elgin hairdresser, who is due to give birth in November, must surrender to DuPage County jail officials on Feb. 11, 2016, as part of a plea deal she agreed to Friday.
Jennifer Perik, 43, of the 300 block of Gladstone Lane, pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft by using an elderly woman's credit card to buy semen samples.
In return, prosecutors dropped charges of unlawful use of a credit card, financial institution fraud and continuing financial crimes enterprise.
Assistant State's Attorney Diane Michalak said between August and December 2014, Perik, who was the victim's hairdresser, used the 93-year-old woman's credit card 39 times to ring up nearly $6,100 in charges.
She spent more than $3,000 on cellphone and communication services. The remaining $3,000, Michalak said, was spent on fertility vitamins and donor sperm from a Virginia-based fertility website.
Prosecutors believe Perik is pregnant as a result of one of the five sperm samples she purchased with the victim's credit card.
Judge John Kinsella sentenced her to 120 days in jail and four years of probation and ordered her to pay restitution to the victim.
Michalak said Perik had been styling both the victim's and the victim's daughter's hair for several years. The victim's daughter noticed the charges in April and called police.
The single largest charge to the Virginia clinic — $2,200 — was made on Christmas Day.
Michalak said the clinic told police that Perik said she was the victim's granddaughter.
Perik had been free on $75,000 bail since her April arrest. She already has served 13 of the 120 days she was sentenced to serve.