NAUGATUCK — Naugatuck police have charged two women, and were searching for a third, in connection with the theft of more than $56,000 from a victim’s business bank account.
Police arrested Rachel Groll, 29, of Naugatuck, late last month and Tina Seckington, 37, of Bristol, last week on warrants that stemmed from a larceny and fraud incident reported to police in December.
Police allege Groll and Seckington, in collaboration with 24-year-old Stephanie Metevier, took the money using bank account information and checks that were stolen from the victim’s home, according to court documents.
Naugatuck police spokesman Lt. Colin McAllister said the department has an active arrest warrant for Metevier, but officers hadn’t been able to locate her as of Wednesday.
According to police, about 80 unauthorized transactions were made from the victim’s account between September and December of last year totaling $56,302. The transactions included about 40 deposits into Groll’s PayPal account totaling about $48,000, according to court documents. The account also showed multiple electronic checks and mobile transactions to Seckington and Metevier, police say.
Also, five checks, four that were written out to Seckington and one to cash, were withdrawn from the victim’s account, court documents state.
According to court documents, surveillance footage from Ion Bank at 87 Church St. shows Seckington, accompanied by Groll, opening an account and depositing a check in September, and another video shows the pair depositing a check in the bank’s drive-up ATM in October.
When questioned by police, Groll admitted to depositing the money in her PayPal account, but said she got the bank account information from Metevier, according to court documents. Groll told police she would withdraw the money, give it to Metevier and keep some for herself. She claimed Metevier told her it was from the estate of her dead mother, according to court documents.
Metevier didn’t show up to arranged interviews with police, according to court documents.
Det. Thomas McGarvey wrote in Seckington’s arrest warrant that he hadn’t been able to reach and speak with her when applying for the warrant on Feb. 19.
According to court documents, Metevier moved in with a man that was renting an apartment in the victim’s home. Metevier was living there without the victim’s knowledge. The man, who authorities believe wasn’t involved in the thefts, told police Metevier and Groll were close friends and would often spend time alone together in his apartment when he went to work. He told police he never saw them go into the victim’s home, but it’s possible they could have gained access while he was at work.
Police charged Groll and Seckington both with first-degree larceny, conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny, first-degree identity theft, conspiracy to commit first-degree identity theft, third-degree forgery, third-degree burglary, conspiracy to commit third-degree forgery and conspiracy to commit third-degree burglary.
The warrant for Metevier lists the same charges, according to McAllister.
Seckington and Groll have been released on bond. Seckington is scheduled to appear in Waterbury Superior Court on Wednesday. Groll is scheduled to appear in court again on April 17.
