Investigators say identity-theft suspect had 74 aliases
AP
April 18, 2015, 8:01 pm
Investigators say identity-theft suspect had 74 aliases Catherine Parker is accused of stealing the identities of people working behind the scenes in Hollywood film productions. Photo: AP/Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office
A woman accused of stealing the identities of people working behind the scenes in Hollywood film production has lived under at least 74 aliases, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said.
Cathryn Parker, 72, was arrested last month after she gave a deputy a false name when she was pulled over for a traffic violation, said Lt. Slade Carrizosa. When detectives found out where she lived, they learned she was using a fake name there too.
She also allegedly paid utilities under false names and acquired credit cards with other people's financial information, officials said.
Parker is suspected of stealing the identities of seven people, most of them film production staffers like grips, Carrizosa said.
"It's like a way of life. I don't know that there was an end," Detective Danny Gore said about Parker's alleged crimes. "You have to be dedicated."
Efforts to find a phone number for Parker were unsuccessful. It wasn't immediately known if she has an attorney.
Parker was in federal custody in Northern California, where she was wanted for probation violations. Records cited by the Los Angeles Times show she was convicted in 2000 for federal mail fraud in Hawaii after she used the Jenny Craig Corp.'s corporate travel account to purchase plane tickets and then sold the tickets privately for $US500 apiece.
Parker has repeatedly violated the terms of her release since then and was wanted by the US Marshals, according to records. After she serves time in Northern California, she'll be sent down to Los Angeles County to answer for the alleged identity thefts, Deputy US Marshal Laura Vega said.
Until that time, investigators are looking for more victims.
"I've been a cop for 20 years ... and this is the first case where I've had this many aliases," Gore told the newspaper.
Though the current victims only date back to 2012, Gore said he believes there could be incidents going back to 2010.
