A DeKalb County courthouse employee charged with defrauding the federal government’s pandemic-era Paycheck Protection Program out of more than $41,000 made her first court appearance Thursday in the felony case presided over by a Lake County judge.

Erica L. Walker, 48, of DeKalb, appeared via Zoom with her defense attorney Brian Erwin.

The case against Walker, who worked for more than 20 years in the DeKalb County courthouse, has been assigned to an out-of-county judge in the 19th Circuit Court, records show.

Walker was charged on Sept. 4 with two counts each of theft of government funds, forgery and wire fraud after authorities alleged she collected PPP money for a business that did not exist, according to records filed in court. If convicted of the Class 1 felonies, wire fraud and theft, Walker could face up to 15 years in prison.

Lake County Circuit Judge Mark L. Levitt scheduled an arraignment for 9 a.m. Oct 30.

Walker is expected to be indicted then, too, said special prosecutor Derek Dion.

She did not speak during Thursday’s brief hearing except to acknowledge the judge. Her hearing was scheduled for 9 a.m., but began about 15 minutes later when Walker and Erwin did not show immediately.

Erwin joined the virtual hearing about 10 minutes after it was scheduled to begin. Walker appeared about 9:15 a.m.

Walker was charged in DeKalb County after an investigation by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office. Her case is being prosecuted outside of the county because of Walker’s connection to the DeKalb County judicial system.

As a deputy circuit clerk, Walker was regularly seen in courtrooms during proceedings.

Authorities allege Walker admitted to receiving thousands in PPP loans for a home remodeling company that “did not exist,” according to records filed in September.

On about April 15, 2021, Walker received a $20,625 PPP loan from a company called Fountainhead SBF LLC, claiming she was the sole owner, court records allege. She listed the residential remodeling company at 1426 E. Dresser Road in DeKalb. She’d filled out a 2020 form that claimed the company had reported $99,000 in gross sales, according to court records.

She did not list that income on her 2020 tax return; however, records state. Weeks later, on about May 11, 2021, Walker received a second PPP loan through the federal CARES Act program, meant to aid struggling businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The money from both loans – totaling $41,250 – was deposited into Walker’s bank account, according to court records.

Dion, a member of the Illinois State’s Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecution Unit, asked Levitt for a few weeks to present Walker’s case to a grand jury for indictment.

Neither Walker nor Erwin responded to the request for comment by presstime.