Woman sentenced to prison for stealing PLN 4,000. dollars from the bank account of an elderly woman from Crystal Lake

An Indiana woman has been sentenced to prison after prosecutors say she stole $4,000 from the bank account of an elderly Crystal Lake woman she didn’t know.

Cassandra L. Bass, 63, of Demotte, Indiana, pleaded guilty to one count of theft over $500, a Class 3 felony.

McHenry County Judge Tiffany Davis approved the plea Tuesday and sentenced Bass to two years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

The case concerns a theft that occurred on June 1, 2023.

Prosecutors say Bass entered a bank and used the personal information of an elderly Crystal Lake woman to fraudulently withdraw $4,000.

The owner of the account spoke with investigators and told them he had not given anyone permission to use his personal information or withdraw money from his bank account.

Prosecutors said Bass was caught on surveillance video at the bank at the time of the theft.

The Crystal Lake Police Department shared the footage with other police departments in Cook and Will counties where Bass committed similar crimes.

Prosecutors said the victim was notified and told police she did not know Bass and did not know how Bass obtained her bank information.

In addition to the prison sentence, Bass was also ordered to pay $4,000 in restitution.

State records show Bass is already serving time at IDOC for identity theft and theft in Cook County. She is expected to be released on parole in December.