Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced that two Chicago area sisters were sentenced to 10 years in prison in an identity theft scheme to obtain more than $300,000 in financial aid from the U.S. Department of Education that they spent on personal items. Dasia Blue, 30, of Monee, and Olympia Blue, 34, of Glendale Heights, pleaded guilty earlier today in DuPage County Criminal Court to identity theft over $100,000, theft of governmental property over $10,000 and a continuing financial crimes enterprise. They were sentenced earlier this week by Judge Brian Telander. As part of their sentence, the women must also repay $319,000 in restitution from the scheme.

The defendants along with two co-defendants stole personal information from unknowing targets and used it to apply for financial aid from the U.S. Department of Education. Between January 2012 and February 2013, the defendants took out student loans totaling more than $300,000 under the guise they were attending classes at the College of DuPage and the University of Phoenix. In reality, the defendants never attended classes, but instead used the money to buy personal items, including an $800 pair of Jimmy Choo shoes. Assistant Attorneys General Edward Snow and Albert Berry handled the cases for Madigan’s Financial Crimes Bureau.