Indiana legal secretary charged with 42 felonies over forged expungement documents

Heather Ann Textor, a former legal secretary at the Merrillville law firm Weiss, Schmidgall, and Hires, was arrested after a three-year probe uncovered a scheme involving forged expungement orders and the theft of client funds. investigators discovered that Textor supplied clients with counterfeit court documents and redirected cash, debit-card and mobile-payment fees into her personal PayPal and Cash App accounts, bypassing the firm’s official accounting system.

The fraud, which allegedly spanned from November 2019 to October 2025, left several clients unaware that their criminal records or driving privileges remained unchanged, resulting in vehicle impoundments and additional legal trouble. Search of the office revealed hidden bags containing missing receipts, client files and handwritten credit-card details, as well as forged judge signatures. On October 14, 2026, Lake County prosecutors filed 45 counts, including multiple Level 5 and Level 6 felonies for fraud, forgery, counterfeiting and theft, plus three misdemeanors. Sergeant Joe White urged any other potential victims to contact the Indiana State Police.