Mark Konkol of Sun-Times: Webio Wife & Trotter Conned Too

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: Hernandez's wife was conned too : Alleged scammer's spouse stunned by charges, lawyer says : June 24, 2009 : BY MARK J. KONKOL Staff Reporter : Blindsided that her accused Ponzi-scheming husband was living a "double life," Gina Hernandez is now so distraught she refuses to go to the grocery store, her lawyer says. : Her husband David Hernandez -- wanted on charges he stole nearly $12 million from 100 investors in 12 states -- was captured by federal authorities Monday in a Downstate Normal hotel room where he apparently tried to commit suicide. : Gina Hernandez declined to be interviewed because she "can't handle this," according to her attorney, Tim Martin. : But Martin provided details of what his client's life was like last week -- a harsh reality check for a first-grade teacher at Grant-White School in Forest Park who thought she was married to a solid man who was a great stepfather to her kids. : Since June 14, when federal authorities lifted the veil on David Hernandez's alleged scheme, Gina Hernandez has found out things she didn't know about her husband, including that she was wife No. 3. : Gina Hernandez also discovered her husband forged her signature to create a trust in her name, take out second and third mortgages on the home she owned and used the seed money for the start of his scheme, Martin said. : While on the run from the FBI, David Hernandez called his wife twice and sent her a letter -- postmarked from Bolingbrook -- that begged forgiveness and said he "destroyed everything" and "will not be alive much longer," Martin said. : Gina Hernandez, who is cooperating with federal authorities, has been told she is not a target of their investigation, Martin said. : Another letter from David Hernandez to his wife arrived at their Downers Grove home Tuesday. It read like a sworn affidavit, but was not notarized, claiming Gina Hernandez was not involved with or told the truth about any of his activities. : Martin declined to provide the Sun-Times a copy because it may be used as evidence by the FBI. : Gina Hernandez, however, was the connection between her husband and former Chicago emergency management chief, Cortez Trotter, a management consultant to NextStep Medical Staffing --which controlled ChicagoSportsWebio.com, the now-defunct Internet-based sports-talk radio station David Hernandez created with sports-talk host Mike North. : Gina Hernandez works for Trotter's wife, Grant-White School principal Wendy Trotter. Their husbands met at a Christmas party. : Hernandez paid Trotter's company, Trotter Consulting Group LLC, $150,000 for its services, according to court papers. : Trotter told the Chicago Sun-Times he wants to give that money back once authorities create a receivership to accept the cash. : "We have been advised by the FBI that some of the funds for services rendered were received by Hernandez illegally," Trotter said. "In the event my company is instructed to return the funds, we will comply, as it is the morally correct thing to do."

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