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ELKINS -- A Randolph County woman is facing multiple felony fraud charges after allegedly spending more than $50,000 with a stolen debit card.
Jessica Fay Michaletz, 36, of Elkins, is charged with 10 counts of fraudulent use of an access device, a felony. She is currently being held at the Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $52,928.33 cash-only bond, set by Randolph County Magistrate Ben Shepler.
According to the criminal complaint, filed by Senior Trooper A.P. Petrella with the West Virginia State Police’s Elkins Detachment, on Jan. 15, Petrella was assigned to a fraud complaint from Mountain Valley Bank in reference to “fraudulent use of an access device.”
A representative from Mountain Valley Bank advised Petrella that the alleged victim in this case had been mailed a replacement debit card, but it was sent to an address that was no longer valid, the complaint states. The representative said the card was used fraudulently to transfer money via Cash App and that the amount of fraud identified at the time was $40,000.
On Jan. 16, Petrella arrived at Mountain Valley Bank, the complaint states. While there, Petrella received a copy of a ledger and bank statement for the alleged victim’s checking account that was connected to the stolen debit card. The documentation showed both approved and denied charges on the debit card, and Petrella observed that a majority of the fraudulent charges were paid through Cash App.
On Jan. 21, Petrella issued a search warrant affidavit for all Cash App records tied to the stolen card, according to the complaint. On that same date, Petrella noted 204 fraudulent charges that were approved and 219 attempted charges that were denied, totaling $52,928.33.
On March 27, Petrella received an email containing the records from the Cash App search warrant, the complaint states. Petrella reviewed the records the next day on two accounts, with the first account allegedly being registered to Michaletz. Petrella was reportedly able to tie the account to Michaletz through her West Virginia operator’s license, her home address, her IP address and her social security number. He also identified all of the approved fraudulent charges pass through this account.
The second account was registered to another individual; however, the account was not verified with a West Virginia operator’s license and the social security number on the account was wrong, according to the complaint. Petrella identified two attempted and denied fraudulent charges on this account, and he found that this account was accessed on the same electronic device as the first account. He writes in the complaint that Michaletz allegedly added the stolen debit card number to the second account while using someone else’s information.
On April 8, Petrella located and arrested Michaletz on unrelated felony fraud charges, the complaint states. Petrella advised Michaletz of the investigation into the stolen $52,928.33 and he provided her a copy of the ledger. Though he told Michaletz she could look through the ledger, Michaletz allegedly said she didn’t need to look at it, as “she knew what it was.”
On Sept. 23, Trooper First Class J.A. Peteete arrested Michaletz on an active capias for a previous fraud investigation, according to the complaint. On the same date, Petrella advised Michaletz of her Miranda Rights and obtained a recorded statement from her. As Petrella described the case to Michaletz, he asked her if she knew what he was talking about. Michaletz reportedly said, “I do.”
Petrella then asked Michaletz where she found the debit card and she allegedly stated she found it on the ground next to a mailbox, the complaint states. When Petrella asked what she did with the card, Michaletz reportedly said, “What did I do? I used it. I did. I used it.”
Michaletz also allegedly stated that she used the card “for Christmas,” the complaint states. Petrella asked Michaletz if she knew how much money she spent, to which she reportedly said she did not know. When Petrella told her she spent more than $50,000, Michaletz allegedly stated, “Oh my God,” and dropped her head between her legs while grabbing her head and rocking back and forth.
Petrella advised Michaletz that her friends knew the money wasn’t her’s, but Michaletz reportedly said they did not know as she had told them she won it from gambling, according to the complaint.
A preliminary hearing for Michaletz has been scheduled for Oct. 5 in Randolph County Magistrate Court.