Gary attorney charged with stealing $80K from clients

A northwest Indiana attorney has been charged with stealing $80,000 from her clients.

Ruth Batey, 46, faces one felony count of theft, according to Indiana State Police.

The Gary Police Department asked Indiana State Police to investigate Batey in January, state police said. She allegedly cashed an $80,000 check that was intended for her clients and kept the money.

Batey, a Gary resident, was arrested Monday and booked on a $20,000 bond at the Lake County Jail in Crown Point, police said. She was also wanted on a $500 civil warrant.