People who paid to clear criminal records at a northwest Indiana law office allegedly received court orders bearing judges’ signatures that were not genuine. Indiana State Police say some later faced arrest or jail after relying on legal relief they believed had been granted.
Heather Ann Textor, a former legal secretary at Weiss, Schmidgall and Hires in Merrillville, faces 42 felony charges and three misdemeanors following a three-year investigation. Indiana State Police said Lowell police arrested her on Oct. 15, 2026.
Investigators accuse Textor of collecting payments from people who thought the firm’s lawyers were handling their expungement and driving-related cases. Some transactions allegedly went through private payment accounts instead of the firm’s books.
Police have identified at least 40 people they believe were affected, according to CBS News Chicago. The state police announcement urged others who may have received questionable court documents to contact investigators.
A Background Check Exposed Court Papers Judges Never Signed
A Gary man brought suspected fraudulent expungement paperwork to the Indiana State Police Expungement Unit on Oct. 24, 2023. A background check during an attempted firearm purchase had revealed that a conviction he thought was cleared still appeared on his record, police told CBS News Chicago.
He provided three purported petitions and two letters that appeared to confirm the expungements. Region News Source, reporting details from a probable-cause affidavit, said an identifying number on one completion letter actually belonged to someone else. Lake and Porter county clerks found no corresponding orders, and judges whose signatures appeared on the papers said they had not authorized them.
The man said he initially paid $1,000 in cash in November 2019, then another $600 and a $26 filing fee. The law firm’s records accounted for the later $626 but not the initial $1,000. Investigators also learned that the receipt book covering the missing payment was not where the firm’s records were normally kept.
Of a $375 Payment, Just $24.84 Allegedly Reached the Law Firm
Investigators described a second receipt book used for people who believed they had become clients, even though their names did not appear in the firm’s computerized client system. Four reusable shopping bags recovered from an upstairs storage area contained office files, purported court orders and a missing receipt book. A spiral notebook held handwritten payment-card numbers, expiration dates and security codes, according to the affidavit account.
In one transaction, a client provided debit-card information to pay $375 toward a $750 retainer. Investigators traced $24.84 through the firm’s payment terminal and $350.16 to Textor’s personal PayPal account. In another, a $1,000 debit-card payment was divided between $37.58 credited to the firm and $962.42 allegedly sent to her PayPal account.
The law office told investigators it had never established a PayPal business account and did not accept PayPal for legal representation. The affidavit account also describes three receipts totaling $1,600 that the firm could not reconcile with its records, along with bond-assignment forms a customer said she had not signed. That customer reported paying $1,200 in cash, while the firm’s books reflected $600.
A Woman Paid $850 for Driving-Case Help, Then Was Arrested
Another customer said she paid $850 through a Cash App account presented as the law office’s business account. She had sought help with driving-related legal trouble, and Textor allegedly reassured her that the court matter would be handled. The office told investigators it had never opened a business Cash App account.
The woman was later cited for driving while suspended in Valparaiso, Munster and Lowell. Her car was towed after each stop. On Aug. 13, 2023, a license-plate reader flagged an outstanding Porter County warrant for failure to appear in a driving-while-suspended case. She was arrested and taken to the Lake County Jail, then transferred to Porter County the following day. The affidavit account calculated $2,210 in losses, including her original payment and towing charges.
Another customer’s $763 payment was properly recorded by the firm, but investigators questioned the specialized-driving-privileges order that customer received. A judge said the signature stamp on the document had been used without permission. Under the Indiana BMV’s rules, specialized driving privileges depend on an actual court order and the appropriate license restriction.
Another Customer Says the Delay Set Back His Career
Lamar Cheairs told ABC7 Chicago that he sought an expungement in 2023 after serving a prison sentence for offenses committed when he was younger. He paid Textor $980, then learned his record had not been cleared.
Cheairs eventually obtained a legitimate expungement, but he said the delay interfered with his career plans and his ability to support his family. He had expected to receive dependable legal help because he went to an established attorney’s office, not someone advertising services independently.
The Firm Fired Textor Before Prosecutors Filed 45 Charges
Weiss, Schmidgall and Hires fired Textor in November 2023 after reviewing irregularities in client payments and receipts, according to court reporting by FOX 32 Chicago. Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter said the firm cooperated with the investigation and was not suspected of participating in the alleged fraud.
The public Indiana MyCase summary identifies the prosecution as Lake Superior Court case 45G04-2610-F5-000590, filed Oct. 14 in Criminal Division 4. The 42 felony charges include five Level 5 counts of fraud against a financial institution, 13 Level 6 forgery counts, two Level 6 counterfeiting counts and additional fraud and theft offenses. Three Class A misdemeanors consist of one fraud count and two theft counts. Prosecutors also alleged unauthorized bond-assignment forms and misuse of a law firm check in the broader investigation.
The online court record lists an Oct. 14 bail order of $150,000/$15,000 and an initial hearing the following day. A separate entry shows that the Lake County clerk received a $14,945 cash bond on Oct. 16. The court scheduled a bail-review hearing for Oct. 20 at 8:45 a.m. and another hearing for Dec. 8. State police said additional charges were under consideration as investigators reviewed financial and digital records. Textor is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
How to Check Whether an Expungement or Driving Order Is Genuine
The Indiana State Police says expungement petitions are filed with the appropriate court and that, after an order is granted, the court sends the required documents to its Expungement Section for processing. Someone who paid for an expungement can ask the lawyer handling the case for the filing and order, then use the issuing court clerk’s official contact information to verify the case number and whether an order was entered.
For driving-related cases, the BMV offers a free online viewable driver record showing license status and reinstatement requirements. A document resembling a judge’s order is no substitute for confirming that driving privileges are valid before getting behind the wheel.
Anyone who thinks Textor handled their payment or provided suspect documents can contact Indiana State Police Sgt. Joe White at 219-696-6242. Preserve receipts, Cash App or PayPal confirmations, messages and copies of purported court papers. Questions about state expungement processing can also be directed to the Indiana State Police Expungement Section at 317-234-4427 or Expungement@isp.in.gov.