Algonquin Woman Gets 6 Years in Prison for Writing Bad Checks

An Algonquin woman has been sentenced to prison for repeatedly writing checks on a bank account she knew lacked the funds to cover the checks.

Kelly L. Batchelor, 41, of the 9400 block of North Route 31, Algonquin, agreed Thursday, Dec. 19, to serve a six-year sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections in exchange for a guilty plea to one count of burglary and one count of deceptive practice, according to the Kane County State's Attorney's Office. 

Circuit Judge James C. Hallock accepted the plea, the state's attorney's office stated in a news release. 

On May 28 and 29 of this year, Batchelor purchased various items worth $329.99 from a West Dundee retail store using a bad check. She then traded those items for cash at a pawn shop, the news release states. 

The check was returned to the store as being written on a closed account.

A few days later, Batchelor bought furniture worth $2,801.50 from an Algonquin furniture store with a bad check. The check was returned to the store as being written on the same closed account, the State's Attorney said. 

Batchelor was already serving probation for financial crimes she committed in 2007. 

On Thursday, Dec. 19, she was re-sentenced to five years in prison for violating her 2010 sentence of probation, for which she pleaded guilty to charges of identity theft, and financial exploitation of an elderly person.

In that case, Batchelor accumulated debt of more than $60,000 in her grandmother’s name on various credit cards and other loans and financial obligations, the State's Attorney said. 

She was ordered to pay restitution in the 2007 case but failed to do so, the news release states. 

According to Illinois law, Batchelor is eligible for day-for-day credit. She was given credit for at least 119 days served on the three cases.

The sentence is six years for the burglary conviction, three years for the deceptive practice conviction and five years for the identity theft and financial exploitation conviction. The terms are to be served concurrently.

“Through her selfish criminal acts, Ms. Batchelor has shown a pattern of total disregard for her victims. Further, given a chance to make good, she instead chose to flaunt the law. I hope her time behind bars helps her understand that such acts will not be tolerated,” Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon said.