ST. CHARLES TOWNSHIP – A woman accused of stealing more than $150,000 from a St. Charles law firm pleaded guilty Thursday.
Jordan E. Terry, 48, was charged with felony theft of $163,375.86 from the law office of attorney J. Brick Van Der Snick, while she worked as a secretary for 7 1/2 years, records show.
Sentencing is set for Jan. 7 by Kane County Associate Judge Clint Hull. Terry remains free on $10,000 bail, 10 percent of her $100,000 bond. The charge normally carries a sentence of probation or four to 15 years in prison.
Van Der Snick said the plea agreement was accepted by Terry, her lawyer and prosecutors with their input for a four-year prison sentence followed by five years to make restitution.
"Finally, Jordan Terry admits what she did was wrong," Van Der Snick said. "I would have liked to see her spend more time in the penitentiary."
Van Der Snick praised St. Charles Police Department Detective Drew Lamela and his banker Aaron Woodward at Inland Bank.
"They were all very cooperative and helped in the investigation," Van Der Snick said. "Lamela was absolutely instrumental in bringing the charges to the [Kane County] State's Attorney and insisting on it."
The theft was discovered after a January 2013 audit showed Terry made unauthorized money transfers from the law firm’s accounts. Terry resigned from the firm in June 2012, records show.
The attorney's wife, Laura Van Der Snick, also said she was relieved with the guilty plea.
"Not only did she break our trust, I had her over to my home for Thanksgiving when she had nowhere else to go," Laura Van Der Snick said. "We paid to send her to say goodbye to her son in Oklahoma when he was going to Iraq, and the whole time she was stealing from us."
Terry's attorney Rory Weiler did not return a message seeking comment. Terry's current address is in Walkerton, Indiana, according to court records.