NEW KENSINGTON, Pa. — Police said a New Kensington woman is facing charges after she allegedly ran up nearly $9,400 in credit card debt using her stepdaughter’s name.
According to the criminal complaint, Shelia Ann Merli, 62, was charged with several counts of theft, receiving stolen property, forgery and access device fraud.
Southwest Greensburg police said Merli charged $9,398 on eight different credit cards taken out in her stepdaughter’s name between April 2005 and April 2013.
Investigators said the woman’s stepdaughter realized she was a victim of identity theft when she attempted to open a credit card and was denied.
Merli's New Kensington address was used on at least one of the credit cards, and she used her cellphone or home number for another card, police said.
The alleged victim said she never gave her stepmother permission to open the accounts, investigators said.
Merli told police she opened the accounts with her stepdaughter's permission, according to court papers.
Merli forged her stepdaughter's signature and used her date of birth and Social Security number to set up the accounts, police said.
Investigators discovered that Merli used her personal checking account with Citizens Bank to make payments on the cards, according to court papers.
All eight cards were used in the New Kensington area, police said.
Merli, who is hearing impaired, sent a statement to Channel 11 News through a messaging service. She said, “This is a huge mistake and I will be following up with my attorney about this and about your call."
Channel 11's news exchange partners at TribLIVE contributed to this report.