Suspected ID Thief Claims To Be 'Mule': Westlake Police

WESTLAKE, OH — During the waning days of September, police had to deal with a strange incident at the Verizon store on Detroit Road. Staffers called and said someone was trying to open an account at the store using a fake identity. The suspect eventually claimed she wasn't just stealing someone's identity, she was also doing someone else's bidding.

When officers arrived on the scene, the suspect was still there. Police spoke to the woman, a 39-year-old from Houston, Texas, and identified her. She had a warrant for her arrest in Massachusetts.

The woman admitted to trying to open an account using a fake Pennsylvania driver's license. The ID had been altered so that the suspect's picture had been placed over someone else's information, police said. The woman was trying to buy an expensive phone using the other person's information.

Things got weird when the woman tried to explain her actions. She told police she was just a "mule" and was hired by a man named "Michael" to commit the crime, police said. Police are investigating the woman's claims, but she was still arrested on the scene, and was charged with felony identity theft.

Detectives are still investigating her claims and the incident.

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