By Stephanie Francis Ward

October 20, 2026, 12:12 pm CDT

Heather Anne Textor, 37, of Lowell, Indiana, was recently charged with 42 felonies based on allegations that she created fake expungement orders and stole money from people who thought that they were represented by her employer. (Photo from the Indiana State Police)

A secretary at an Indiana law firm assigned to the reception desk was recently charged with 42 felonies based on allegations that she created fake expungement orders and stole money from people who thought that they were represented by her employer. The case has unraveled a complex, multi-year fraud scheme that left unsuspecting clients vulnerable to serious legal consequences, including subsequent arrests and jail time for offenses they believed had been legally resolved.

Heather Anne Textor’s scam allegedly worked like that of a rogue operator embedded within plain sight, according to reports from CBS News. As the individual greeting prospective clients at the front desk, Textor was uniquely positioned to intercept individuals seeking legal assistance. Victims would arrive at the office, pay her directly, and walk away believing that the firm would professionally handle their criminal record expungements. Instead of processing their paperwork through legitimate legal channels, she allegedly provided them with forged receipts and court documents while systematically keeping most of the money for herself.

Textor, 37, of Lowell, Indiana, worked at the law firm of Weiss, Schmidgall and Hires, located in Merrillville, Indiana. Throughout the duration of her employment, none of the alleged victims’ names were ever entered into the firm’s official client records system. Consequently, the leadership and attorneys at the firm remained entirely unaware of the alleged scheme operating right out of their reception area, according to CBS News coverage. Representatives from the law firm did not immediately respond to an ABA Journal request for comment regarding the shocking revelations.

Regional News Source, a publication covering news across northwest Indiana, provided deeper investigative insights drawn directly from Textor’s legal affidavit. According to the affidavit, the alleged criminal enterprise spanned a significant timeframe, operating continuously between 2019 and 2025.

The extensive fraud scheme finally came to light when the Indiana State Police launched an investigation into Textor. The probe was triggered after a man walked into a state police facility and brought forward an expungement petition that immediately appeared suspicious and fraudulent. Upon closer inspection by authorities, the man produced three additional expungement petitions and two expungement letters that he had received through his interactions with the firm’s front desk.

Law enforcement officials examined the paperwork and quickly identified glaring discrepancies. Investigators determined that an identification number listed on one of the documents actually belonged to an entirely different individual. Furthermore, when authorities contacted the specific Indiana counties listed on the victim’s purported court documents, court clerks confirmed there was no official record whatsoever of the expungements having ever been ordered or processed, as reported by Regional News Source.

Beyond intercepting client payments and issuing fraudulent paperwork, Textor is also accused of forging judges’ signatures directly onto the fake legal documents to maintain the illusion of legitimacy. The primary victim who initially went to the Indiana State Police reported that he paid a total of $1,626 for what he genuinely believed was legitimate legal work. Investigators analyzing the financial transactions discovered that Textor deposited only $626 of that total into the firm’s official bank account, leaving no record or accounting for the remaining thousand dollars.

The financial chicanery extended into various digital and electronic payment methods as well. Investigators allege that Textor utilized the law firm’s physical credit card machine to process a $350 retainer payment from a client, but instead of routing those funds to the firm’s business account, she secretly transferred the money directly into her personal PayPal account. In another instance, she allegedly instructed a prospective client to send an $850 payment through Cash App, claiming it was the official account of the law firm. According to reporting by Regional News Source, firm representatives confirmed that the practice never maintained or utilized a Cash App account for any of its business transactions.

The human toll of the alleged fraud extended far beyond financial theft. In some cases, individuals who walked away with official-looking documents provided by Textor suffered severe real-world consequences. Believing that their criminal records had been officially cleared by a court of law, some of these individuals continued driving or operating vehicles under the assumption that their driving privileges had been restored. Consequently, several victims were subsequently arrested and even jailed because they were driving on suspended licenses, entirely unaware that the expungement documents they held in their hands were worthless forgeries, according to reports by WANE.

The ongoing investigation has prompted law enforcement to widen its scope as they attempt to identify all affected individuals. The Indiana State Police have strongly urged anyone who interacted with or paid money to Textor for legal services to come forward and contact law enforcement immediately as the criminal proceedings against her continue to unfold.