An Alabama nursing home employee was arrested late last week on charges that she stole the identities of hundreds of people — including eight residents of the facility where she worked.
Erika Machelle Davis, 33, was charged with trafficking in stolen identities on Friday for allegedly stealing the identities of people across the country, including children and residents of Magnolia Ridge Care and Rehabilitation Center in Gardendale, AL. Davis’ exact position at the facility is unclear; the facility’s administrator did not return a call for comment Monday afternoon.
Authorities say the investigation into Davis began after the daughter of a Magnolia Ridge resident noticed unusual activities in her mother’s checking account. Upon searching Davis’ home, police found notebooks with the names, dates of birth and other personal information for hundreds of people, as well as instructions for compromising an ATM. Davis had been using the stolen identities to pay bills and buy furniture, clothes and shoes, authorities said.
Magnolia Ridge officials had no knowledge that the residents’ identities had been stolen, and cooperated with the investigation, the Gardendale Police Department said. Davis has previous felony convictions for theft of property, for which she received a one-year suspended sentence.
As of press time Davis remained in Jefferson County Jail on $50,000 bond. Trafficking in stolen identities is a Class B felony under Alabama law, which can carry up to a 20-year prison sentence.
