SPOKANE VALLEY — Spokane Valley deputies arrested two women June 21 after they allegedly used stolen credit cards to make fraudulent purchases at several stores in the Valley Mall.
Morgan L. Nelson, 38, and Brandy Proia, 41, were booked into the Spokane County Jail on charges of second-degree identity theft and second-degree possession of stolen property.
The two women were released on their own recognizance the next day by Spokane County Superior Court Judge K. Stewart.
Their arrest came after deputies responded to reports of fraudulent credit card transactions around 6:45 p.m.
Victims of an earlier vehicle break-in at the Islands Trailhead, 11500 East Upriver Drive, had alerted authorities that the stolen credit cards were used to buy items at Spokane Valley Mall.
Upon arrival, deputies observed two women matching the suspects’ descriptions provided by the victims and store employees getting into a white truck in the mall parking lot, records show. Deputies stopped the vehicle and detained Nelson and Proia, along with a man with them.
The victims, who were visiting Spokane from out of state, reported their rental car had been broken into while parked at the Island Trailhead, records said. Stolen items included a purse, wallet, cash, credit cards and IDs.
One victim received a bank alert about fraudulent purchases at Journey, a store in the Spokane Valley Mall, leading them to contact the store and report the incident to 911, records show.
Nelson refused to answer deputies’ questions after being read her rights, records show. However, Proia admitted that she and Nelson were friends.
According to Proia, Nelson invited her on a shopping spree and provided her with an American Express card from a black wallet in her purse, records show. Proia did not verify the card’s ownership.
Deputies recovered approximately $2,000 worth of fraudulently obtained merchandise and other stolen property, which were returned to the victims and affected businesses, records show. They also identified a convenience store in the 3600 block of North Sullivan where the suspects had used a stolen card to buy gas and $291.80 worth of cigarettes.
The man was not charged and was released.
Clare is an Eastern Washington University graduate and a reporter at Free Press Publishing.
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