Woman allegedly steals co-worker’s credit card, makes over $2K charges
A local woman was arrested on multiple felony charges Saturday after allegedly stealing a hospital co-worker’s credit card and using it to charge over $2,000 at area businesses.
Nikita Nicole Rice, 26, was taken into custody around 3:30 p.m. at her place of employment, CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs, 300 Werner St., and charged with four counts of theft by receiving of a credit card, each punishable by up to six years in prison.
Rice, who lists no prior criminal history, was later released on a $10,000 bond and is set to appear Oct. 12 in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on Sept. 12, a local woman filed a report with the Garland County Sheriff’s Office stating she had received a notification from her bank the day before regarding suspicious activity on her credit card involving five unauthorized transactions.
She said she had last seen her card while at work at CHI in the women’s locker room. The transactions consisted of two charges at Dollar General totaling $878.95, two charges at Walmart totaling $1,022.77, and one charge at Petco for $169.91.
Sheriff’s investigators determined the person who used the card at Petco signed up for a PetPals account. The person, a man, 26, was determined to be Rice’s boyfriend. It was also determined Rice works at CHI with the victim and had access to the same locker room area where the victim stored her purse.
Investigators obtained video footage from Walmart which reportedly showed the victim’s stolen credit card being used and were able to positively identify Rice as the one using it through her driver’s license and social media photos.
A warrant for Rice’s arrest was issued on Friday.