Hurst gets probation in DHS case

<span>Steeleville resident and former Department of Human Services worker Mary Hurst recently pleaded guilty to 12 felony charges, but received only 30 months of probation from Judge Thomas Cannady.</span>

<span>Hurst, 50, faced 11 Class 3 felony counts and one Class X count for theft of government monies over $100,000 in using her position at DHS to embezzle $114,819 of department funds.</span>

<span>In a stunning turn of events, Hurst showed up to what was supposed to be a case management hearing on Sept. 10 with a check for the full amount stolen and pleaded guilty to all charges.</span>

<span>"Instead of doing her job, the defendant stole public resources that were intended to provide essential services to our state's most vulnerable families," said Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan in a news release. "I will continue to ensure that the state's limited resources are protected and those who steal from the state are held responsible for their crimes."</span>

<span>The Class 3 felony counts consisted of five counts of wire fraud and six counts of official misconduct, each punishable by two to five years in prison. The Class X count carried a punishment of between six and 30 years in prison.</span>

<span>The charges were filed May 21 by the Attorney General's Office through Kilby MacFadden, who is an assistant to Madigan. MacFadden was the prosecutor in this case.</span>

<span>"I'm personally extremely disappointed in the outcome," said Randolph County State's Attorney Jeremy Walker. "The attorney general's office handled it and that's all I can say."</span>

<span>Pursuant to her plea deal, the Class X felony was reduced to a Class 1 for theft and she was sentenced to what amounts to two and a half years of probation.</span>

<span>According to court records, the offenses were committed from March 1, 2012 to March 31, 2015. Hurst was employed with DHS from 2004 to 2015 and was promoted to caseworker in 2006.</span>

<span>MacFadden stated in the court file that Hurst had access to confidential customer information and LINK accounts, and oversaw cases that involved temporary assistance for needy families.</span>

<span>DHS reported Hurst created four separate LINK accounts under the names of Janice Welty, Debbie Todd, Louise Morrow and Delta Walters using fake dates of birth, addresses and social security numbers.</span>

<span>She allegedly issued the LINK cards to herself in the Randolph County office prior to business hours, activating the cards using a pin number of her choosing.</span>

<span>The DHS investigation showed that all calls to activate the accounts were dialed from Hurst's office phone.</span>