Fraud suspect granted bail

A 28-year-old woman facing numerous criminal charges relating to fraudulent activities has been released from custody.

Samantha Joy Ellison was released Monday on several conditions, including the stipulation that she pay $500 bail.

Ellison is charged with fraud over $5,000, possession of the proceeds of crime over $5,000, forgery, uttering a forged document and multiple counts of possession of stolen property under $5,000, identity fraud, possession of identity information, possession of identity documents, possession of a stolen credit card and breach of a recognizance.

Police say a woman used another woman’s identity to obtain a loan and buy a $40,000 Jeep in Edmonton. The woman was arrested in Lethbridge Jan. 4 after a patrol officer noticed a stolen licence plate on a Jeep in the parking lot of a hotel in the 1000 block of Mayor Magrath Drive. Police searched a hotel room and recovered identity documents belonging to four people, as well as stolen credit and debit cards.

The accused had hoped to make bail Jan. 10, but neither the Crown nor duty counsel had enough information about the alleged offences to proceed. Although Ellison had been represented by duty counsel during her initial court hearings, lawyer Ali Aziz of the Michael Dietrich Law Office was later placed on the record.

The Crown didn’t oppose Ellison’s release during Monday’s bail hearing, in which an agent appeared for Aziz. Her next court hearing is scheduled for Feb. 16.

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