A McHenry woman has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $22,000 from her child’s estate and was sentenced to 30 months of “second-chance probation” and 30 hours of public service, according to court records.

Heidi Leona Vessels, 37, also was ordered to pay restitution of $22,165, according to documents in McHenry County court.

Vessels was accused of unlawfully withdrawing the funds in 2023 and 2024 from her minor child’s “court-protected estate account without the required court approval to remove the funds and transferred the funds to her personal bank account,” a criminal complaint states.

Charges were filed when the child’s “father noticed there was money missing from the daughter’s court-protected account and notified authorities,” Emily Baker, a communications specialist with the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, said when Vessels was charged in March.

Vessels is required to receive psychiatric care and employment services and drug screens, according to an order signed by Judge Tiffany Davis.

Second-chance probation allows some nonviolent, first-time offenders to avoid a felony conviction on certain offenses. To be eligible, defendants must not have any prior felony convictions. Should Vessels not commit any new offenses and comply with the judge’s orders, the charges could be dismissed. She still would have to go through the expungement process to completely remove the arrest record.