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Police: Woman wrote $23,000 in phony checks

Authorities say the woman took the checks from her former employer.

By BRADY DENNIS
Published April 28, 2006

TEMPLE TERRACE - The woman, an assistant professor in the Department of World Languages at the University of South Florida, called Temple Terrace police in November.

Someone had written 10 unauthorized checks on her bank account, she said, totalling $23,000.

The culprit, police say, was no stranger.

This week, officers arrested 59-year-old Patricia Williams, who authorities said had served as a caretaker in the home of 52-year-old Ava Chitwood from March until September last year.

But not long after that employment ended, Temple Terrace police spokeswoman Paula McDonald said, money started disappearing from Chitwood's account.

McDonald said the 10 phony checks were written in October and November.

Each was made out to Patricia Mercer, she said. Hillsborough records show Patricia Mercer married James Williams in February, hence the different last name.

Tuesday's arrest was not Williams' first brush with the law.

State records show that in December 2004, she was arrested by Tampa police on charges of grand theft and organized fraud.

Police reports show she pocketed almost $1,500 from fraudulent returns while employed at Macy's in Westshore Plaza. She told officers that she would use receipts left behind at the register from cash sales.

Another employee caught Williams on a store surveillance camera.

Hillsborough records show she pleaded guilty to the grand theft charge in August. The judge withheld adjudication and gave her a year's probation.

Williams now faces more than 30 charges related to her latest arrest, including multiple counts of forgery, uttering a forged instrument and grand theft and one count of organized fraud of more than $20,000.

Williams remained in custody Thursday at the Hillsborough County Jail in lieu of $67,500 bail.

Chitwood did not return calls or an e-mail seeking comment Thursday.

Times staff writer Rebecca Catalanello contributed to this report.

[Last modified April 28, 2006, 01:49:41]