Hamden Woman Busted In Connection With $38,000 Westport Fraud Case: PD

WESTPORT, CT — A 41-year-old Hamden woman was arrested by Westport police last week on a warrant charging her with identity theft, and related violations, in connection with a scheme to steal $38,000 by writing fraudulent checks, according to authorities.

Tynishia Johnson is the latest suspect arrested in the plot, which Westport police were alerted to in the summer of 2021.

She was apprehended by Wallingford police on July 20 and turned over to Westport police, who charged her with the following:

• Third-degree Identity Theft
• Trafficking in Personal Identifying Information
• Unlawful Possession of a Personal Identifying Information Access Device
• Third-degree Conspiracy to Commit Identity Theft
• Conspiracy to Commit Trafficking in Personal Identifying Information
• Conspiracy/ Unlawful Possession of a Personal Identifying Information Access Device

Westport police opened a larceny investigation in June 2021, when a victim "reported that an unknown person used his personal identifying information to write over $38,000.00 in fraudulent checks."

The checks in question were deposited into a Citibank account, and a Westport detective identified a man named Eldrege Christmas as a suspect. Police obtained a search warrant to examine Christmas' cell phone, and got additional evidence tying him to this crime, which led to his arrest in June.

"During the search of Mr. Christmas's cell phone, it was determined that another person
was involved in this scheme to manufacture and deposit fraudulent checks," Westport police said. "This second suspect was identified as Tynishia Johnson. The search of the phone reportedly showed that Mr. Christmas and Ms. Johnson communicated on multiple occasions about the details of this crime."

When contacted by police, Johnson "denied any involvement and said she was in fact
a victim of identity theft herself," but authorities obtained additional evidence, and quickly got a warrant for her arrest.

Johnson was released on bond and is scheduled to appear in Stamford Superior Court on Oct. 7.