Woman faces check-kiting charges in 3 counties

By Times staff writers

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 19, 2000

TAMPA -- A 41-year-old woman on probation for fraud and forgery was arrested again Tuesday and charged with 13 felonies and one misdemeanor. Officials said she used a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office account number on fake checks to steal more than $3,500 incash and personal items.

This latest arrest for Susan Jones Nation of 5410 Falkenburg Road adds to a stack of charges in Hillsborough County. Since May 1998, she has been charged with 106 felonies and four misdemeanors, most of which are charges of forgery, fraud, grand theft and using fraudulent identification.

In addition to Tuesday's arrest in Hillsborough, she was charged with similar offenses in Manatee and Sarasota counties. Investigators said that in February and March, Nation used a home computer to create counterfeit personal and business checks. The checks used valid account numbers stolen from businesses, but also an account number stolen from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Detention Department's canteen fund, officials said.

Nation used the checks to get cash and buy clothing and other personal items, deputies said.

To go along with the check scheme, Nation created fake driver's licenses to match the checks, a method she used before in past crimes, officials said. Jail records show Nation has used six aliases and the Social Security number of a dead person in past schemes.

Nation was held in the Hillsborough County Jail on Tuesday without bail.

Baby flown to hospital after fall into pool

EAST LAKE -- A 10-month-old girl in a walker fell into the pool at her home Tuesday afternoon while her father was in the bathroom.

Sgt. Greg Tita of the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said the accident occurred shortly before 4 p.m. at the home of Colin and Therese Parker at 467 Equine Drive in the Keystone Bluffs subdivision.

Colin Parker, 34, was at home taking care of his daughter, Nichole, and had put her in a walker after her nap, Tita said.

Parker said he went to the bathroom and when he came out, he found Nichole in the pool near the pool steps, Tita said. He performed CPR on his daughter and called 911.

Nichole was flown by helicopter to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg and later transferred to All Children's Hospital. Her condition was unavailable Tuesday evening.

A neighbor, Jennifer Gallivan, said she had just pulled into her driveway and ran over to the Parker house when she saw emergency vehicles. She said Parker told her he had just recently taken down a baby security fence around the pool in order to power wash the pool deck, and he had not yet put it back up.

On Monday, one child died and another is in critical condition after they were found in their apartment complex swimming pool in Safety Harbor.

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