MERRILLVILLE, Ind. — A Lowell woman faces 45 criminal charges following a multiyear investigation into allegations of fraud, forgery and theft involving clients of a Merrillville law firm, Indiana State Police announced.
Heather Ann Textor, 41, was arrested Thursday afternoon by Lowell police and booked into the Lake County Jail. Investigators say the case involves fraudulent court documents, forged judicial signatures and the misuse of client funds.
The investigation began after suspicious expungement documents were submitted to the Indiana State Police Expungement Unit. Sgt. Joe White of the Indiana State Police Organized Crime and Corruption Unit led the investigation.
Detectives uncovered fraudulent criminal-record expungement orders, falsified specialized driving privilege documents and electronic payments diverted into personal accounts, according to state police. Investigators…
THE ISUZU MOTORS PAYROLL FRAUD (GQEBERHA, SA)
Date: February 16, 2026 Perpetrator: Natasja Slabbert (42)
Case Description: In a case that hit home for the Eastern Cape business community, Natasja Slabbert, a payroll administrator at Isuzu Motors South Africa’s Struandale plant, was arrested for an alleged R10.5 million fraud. The scheme, which began surfacing in late 2024, exploited the very systems designed to manage employee compensation. Slabbert allegedly manipulated payroll records to create false entries that appeared as legitimate deductions and contributions on employee payslips. In reality, these “deductions” were being diverted into her personal bank account.
The fraud was only uncovered after diligent employees noticed that their net “take-home” pay was significantly lower than expected, despite the gross amounts on their payslips remaining high. Following a thorough probe by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team and the NPA’s Specialised Commercial Crime Unit, it was discovered that in August 2024 alone, over R626,000 was unlawfully transferred. Slabbert was granted bail of R5,000 on February 17, 2026, and the case has been postponed to later in the month for further legal proceedings. This case highlights the critical need for “segregation of duties” in payroll departments, as a single point of failure allowed for the systematic siphoning of millions over nearly two years.
Link to Original: PE Express – Isuzu Payroll Fraud