Woman sentenced to prison for stealing $4,000 from elderly Crystal Lake woman's bank account

An Indiana woman has been sentenced to prison after prosecutors say she stole $4,000 from the bank account of an elderly Crystal Lake woman she didn't know.

Cassandra L. Bass, 63, of Demotte, Indiana, pleaded guilty to one count of theft over $500, a Class 3 felony.

McHenry County Judge Tiffany Davis approved the plea Tuesday and sentenced Bass to two years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

The case stems from a theft that occurred on June 1, 2023.

Bass walked into a bank and used the personal information of an elderly Crystal Lake woman to fraudulently withdraw $4,000, prosecutors said.

The account owner spoke to investigators and told them he had not given anyone permission to use his personal information or withdraw money from his bank account.

Prosecutors said Bass was captured on surveillance video at the bank committing the robbery.

The Crystal Lake Police Department shared the video with other police departments where Bass was identified as committing similar offenses in Cook and Will counties.

Prosecutors said the victim was notified and told police she did not know Bass and did not know how Bass obtained her banking information.

Bass was also ordered to pay $4,000 in restitution in addition to her prison sentence.

State records show Bass is already serving time at IDOC for identity theft and theft in Cook County. She is expected to be released on parole in December.