A Sangamon County grand jury Thursday indicted a 32-year-old McHenry County woman who allegedly agreed to be a surrogate mother for a Springfield couple and then lied about being pregnant while taking $18,000 from them.

Debra A. Hemauer of Harvard is charged with two counts of theft over $10,000, a class 2 felony punishable by three to seven years in prison; and eight counts of forgery, a class 3 felony punishable by two to five years in prison.

The case was referred for prosecution to Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office by the Illinois State Police.

"This deceitful woman preyed on one couple's desire to have children and stole not only their money, but also their dreams," Madigan said in a news release announcing the charges.

According to the indictment, the Springfield couple, who was not identified, arranged for Hemauer to carry and bear a child for them and agreed to pay legal costs, medical bills, a surrogacy fee and other expenses related to the pregnancy.

The indictment alleges that between Oct. 1, 2002, and Jan. 31, 2003, Hemauer lied to the couple about being pregnant with their child; forged insurance and medical documents, including a positive pregnancy test result; and accepted money from the couple as payment for the expenses.

A spokeswoman for the attorney general's office could not be reached for comment.