One year after she was charged with identity theft for allegedly stealing checks made out to an ex-partner, Aniesa L. Stamper has had her preliminary hearing in Lewis County Superior Court.
Stamper, 26, of Chehalis, is accused of taking checks her ex-partner earned as an employee of JJ Berry Furniture Store the year prior, re-depositing the checks into her ex’s bank account and immediately withdrawing the check amount in cash, according to court documents.
Stamper allegedly took seven checks that were originally deposited in 2020 and re-deposited them between May 18 and May 25, 2021.
The total amount stolen was $9,956.42, according to court documents.
A JJ Berry representative contacted law enforcement about the fraud on June 10, 2021, suspecting their former employee was re-depositing the checks. When deputies contacted the former employee, he “indicated he knew what they were referring to” and claimed his ex-girlfriend, Stamper, had been taking his old checks without his permission.
Video surveillance footage from Twin Star Credit Union in Centralia confirmed that Stamper was re-depositing the checks, according to court documents.
Deputies were unable to locate Stamper at the time of that investigation in 2021. She was charged with three counts of identity theft in Lewis County Superior Court in September 2021. She was issued a summons notice for an Oct. 5 hearing, which she was not present for, prompting a judge to issue a $10,000 warrant for Stamper’s arrest.
Stamper was arrested on that warrant over the weekend and posted bail ahead of her preliminary appearance on Monday, Sept. 12.
Having paid that $10,000 bail, a judge allowed her to remain out of custody. Her next court appearance is an arraignment hearing scheduled for Sept. 15.
