Woman gets 5 years in prison for stealing from Addison law firm

A former secretary for an Addison law firm has been sentenced to five years in prison for stealing nearly $100,000 from the firm.

Aracelia Dominguez pleaded guilty in October to one count of theft by deception. DuPage County Judge Margaret O'Connell handed down the sentence Friday.

Dominguez, 42, lives in the 4500 block of West Lawrence in Chicago.

According to authorities, beginning in February 2013, Dominguez would meet with potential clients of the firm without her employer's knowledge and often presented herself as a lawyer. She accepted payments, mostly in cash, for immigration-related legal work she was not authorized to perform.

She also forged checks she received from clients, endorsing them to herself and depositing them in her bank accounts.

The firm fired her in December 2016. The firm's owner then noticed discrepancies in the firm's finances and called Addison police.

Dominguez was charged in 2017 and arrested in 2018.

She will begin serving her sentence on July 11. Dominguez will have to serve at least 50% of her sentence before being eligible for parole and must repay her former employer $55,790.