On May 9, a 24-year-old Riverside woman was arraigned in Superior Court on charges related to identity theft and selling or transferring a credit card with the intent to defraud. The woman plead not guilty to both theft charges. She is scheduled for another court appearance on August 2. Her attorney did not respond to a telephone call from the media seeking comment.
In November 2012, a UPS delivery envelope containing an American Express credit card disappeared from the porch of a home located in the Lake Hills subdivision near Riverside. The homeowner had requested a new card after her previous card was used without her consent. Later that day, someone charged approximately $800 in purchases at Vons, Walmart, gas stations and Starbucks. None of the merchants had video surveillance of the person using the card.
However, the homeowners did have security cameras installed at their home. An investigator for the sheriff’s department stated that they located the woman after matching video footage from the property to booking photographs. Security footage showed that UPS delivered the envelope at approximately 10:30 a.m. The video then allegedly shows the accused woman pull into the driveway at approximately 4:00 p.m., take the envelope and leave. The investigator claimed that a local detective recognized the accused woman from the video footage.
Even where there appears to be a discouraging amount of evidence, a criminal defense attorney may be able to help. It may be possible to negotiate a deal with the district attorney to help mitigate the damage caused by criminal charges. An attorney may be able to inquire into the availability of any diversion programs, or negotiate for probation or community service instead of jail time.
Source: The Press-Enterprise, “RIVERSIDE: Woman charged with theft caught on video”, Brian Rokos, July 12, 2013