Joliet woman charged with stealing money from Homer Glen company

A Joliet woman was charged for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars in fraudulent spending from a business in southwest suburban Homer Glen.

Lynda K. Bibian, 32, was charged with theft, identity theft, aggravated identity theft and forgery, according to the Will County sheriff’s office. She allegedly stole the money from Jimenez Landscaping company while she was an employee.

Bibian was hired as an assistant to the office manager of the company in May 2017 and had some responsibilities related to the company’s financial end, the sheriff’s office said. The owners discovered more than $44,000 in charges on a credit card issued to them and a family member who worked at the company.

The charges ranged from Oct. 2017 through Oct. 2018 for multiple retailers, services and rent, the sheriff’s office said. The company believed Bibian took over the identity of the family member who passed away.

She was fired from Jimenez Landscaping Oct. 8, 2018.

An investigation found Bibian also fraudulently increased her hourly pay rate more than once and wrote thousands of unauthorized checks from the company for herself and personal services, the sheriff’s office said.

Detectives questioned Bibian Thursday, and she implicated herself in statements, the sheriff’s office said. She also acknowledged her history of committing financial crimes.

Bibian’s bond was set at $75,000 and additional charges are expected.