Sheriff: Suspect charged with identity theft in connection with fraudulent unemployment scheme

Posted on by Mike Fuhrman

FROM STAFF REPORTS

A Taylorsville woman was charged with identity theft following an Iredell County Sheriff’s Office.investigation of a fraudulent unemployment claim.

Daphne Walsh

Sheriff Darren Campbell announced the arrest of Daphne Regina Walsh, 40, in a news release.

The ICSO began investigating on February 10 after receiving a report from an individual who had been a victim of identity theft, Campbell said.

The victim reported he had been laid off from his job on October 31, 2020. On Wednesday, November 30, 2020, he attempted to file for unemployment with the State of North Carolina and was unable to do so, according to the news release.

The victim told the deputies this personal information had been used and a claim had already been filed, Campbell said.

The case was assigned to Detective Craig Scannella with the ICSO Economics Crime Unit. Detective Scannella interviewed the victim, sent out information requests and search warrants seeking information from the the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Choice Bank, and LiLi.com.

Through hiis investigation, Scannella determined Walsh had used the man’s information to submit a claim, according to the news release. The detective obtained an arrest warrant for Walsh.

Walsh was arrested by the Taylorsville Police Department on this warrant. She was then taken to the Alexander County Detention Center, where she was issued a $76,000 secured bond on the Iredell County charge along with six other outstanding charges from other agencies.