by Kenneson 6 Replies latest jw friends
Members of an ousted family of Jehovah's Witnesses (disfellowshipped in Florida) are in trouble once again. Caught in California. See "Members of Family arrested in wide-ranging theft probe."
http://www.kgw.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D88ATQ3GO.html
I don't know why the link is not working. But if you look under local news, click on Washington News. Scroll down to the article.
They want people to register in order to view the article.
Is there any way you can cut & paste it here?
This is great. Witnesses always say to trust each other. Always trust your brothers. THey are better than outsider. Yeah right!!!
Associated Press
Four people accused of buying millions of dollars worth of real estate and cars in an identity theft scam that victimized Jehovah's Witnesses and the elderly have been jailed in California authorities say.
Mildreada Andrews, 45; daughter Melanie Marie Andrews, 22; son, Michael Lee Andrews, 24; and daughter-in-law Isis Andrews, 19, were arrested in the past week, eighteen months after they fled Clay County, said Bill Hanley, a Palm Springs, California, police detective.
Investigators believe they were stealing to use in getting health care jobs, possibly to steal the indenties of patients, Hanley told The Columbian of Vancouver.
All but the daughter-in-law face extradition to Washington state, Arizona or Florida on identity theft charges, and a Social Security Administration probe is expected to result in Federal charges against at least some of the four, Vancouver police Detective Edward L. Hewitt said.
"I'm elated," Hewitt said. "These people were real manipulators."
Hewitt said the family moved to the area in 2001 or 2002, used a number of aliases and contacted some victims through Jehovah's Witnesses, then fled after the son and daughter were arrested in 2003.
The matriarch who has a 57-page criminal history, posed as a tax preparer to get Social Security numbers of church members and their children, and investigators believe she may have falsified tax returns to get refuns for her clients, police said.
Some of all of the refunds were deposited electronically in a bank account she controlled, Hewitt said.
Stolen Social Security numbers, meanwhile, were used to produce fake income tax returns, W-2 forms and pay stubs that were used to borrow money for the purchase of thirteen area homes worth an estimated $3.4 million and at least eight new cars, he said.
The family took out second mortgages on the homes, converted garages into apartments and contracted to provide care for elderly people who were housed in the converted garages, he said.
The Andrews clan hired illegal immigrants and others to provide that care, family members dispensed drugs and performed other services without the required licenses, and the group stole credit cards, cash and the identities of the elderly clients, Hewitt said.
"It was non-stop criminal activity," Hewitt said. "The fallout will continue for years to come."
He said the operation began to unravel when a Columbia Credit Union credit investigator became suspicious about four car loan applications from family members.
That September police arrested Miguel D. Hernandez, also known as Michael Andrews, and his sister, Melania Hernandez, also known as Melanie Andrews, for investigation of identity theft, first-defree theft and possession of stolen property.
Two days later, authorities believe, the pair persuaded a member of the church to put up his house as bail and fled.
"A relative in Florida subsequently called and told us they were kicked out of a Jehovah's Witnesses church in Florida, for criminal activity," Hewitt said.
"I'm elated," Hewitt said. "These people were real manipulators."
Learned from the best...
But wow, these people were serious into it, weren't they? If I was going to turn to a life of crime, it would have to be alot easier than this or I couldn't be bothered!
Dave
Here's the link for the story in another paper.
Wow...what a complicated operation they had going.
I can see how they were able to manipulate the "friends", I feel sorry for them. The tax preparer thing was a stroke of genius.
They are truly evil though, how can you steal from the elderly like that?
