Alabaster woman charged with string of identity thefts
Published 10:22 am Friday, January 2, 2015
By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor
ALABASTER – A 24-year-old Alabaster woman who was already on probation for a previous trafficking in stolen identities charge is being held in the Shelby County Jail on bonds totaling $210,000 after she allegedly stole multiple victims’ identities over the past several months.
The Alabaster Police Department arrested Elizabeth Mary Barashes, who lists an address in the 500 block of Stage Coach Road in Alabaster, on Dec. 31 on five felony counts of fraudulent use of a credit or debit card, seven felony counts of identity theft, one felony count of second-degree theft of property, one felony count of second-degree possession of a forged instrument and one count of probation violation.
Barashes’ arrest came after she allegedly stole multiple victims’ identities and used them to fraudulently obtain loans and make purchases with the victims’ credit cards.
According to her arrest warrant, Barashes allegedly stole a woman’s identification on Aug. 12 and June 24, used the victim’s debit card to make unauthorized purchases and took out a loan in the woman’s name.
Barashes also allegedly stole two other women’s identifications, and used one of them to obtain a loan in the victim’s name.
When Barashes was arrested on the charges, she was serving a five-year probation sentence for a trafficking in stolen identities charge she pleaded guilty to on June 4.
All of Barashes’ current charges are Class C felonies, according to Alabama law. If convicted, she could face up to 10 years in prison per charge.
Barashes is scheduled to appear in the Shelby County Courthouse on Jan. 28 for a preliminary hearing at 8:30 a.m.