Police: N.Y. woman tried to use fraudulent ID to buy iPhones in Hempfield
A New York woman is behind bars after state police said she tried to use a fraudulent driver’s license and credit card Monday to purchase two iPhones at a Hempfield store.
Raquel M. Martinez, 27, of New York City is charged with access device fraud, identity theft and related offenses.
Troopers were called to a Verizon Wireless store on Route 30 at 3:30 p.m. after employees stalled the $2,300 purchase of two gold iPhone Xs, according to court papers. Police said Martinez used a driver’s license with her picture on it but had identifying information for a 71-year-old Jeannette man and a 23-year-old Lancaster County woman.
Martinez provided a credit card issued to the Lancaster County woman as a second form of identification, police said.
Authorities found Martinez had another fraudulent driver’s license with identifying information for two Pennsylvanians, from Wexford and Reading.
Martinez was lodged in the Westmoreland County Prison on Monday night on $100,000 bail. She did not have an attorney listed in online court records.
A July 16 preliminary hearing is set.
Renatta Signorini is a TribLive reporter covering breaking news, crime, courts and Jeannette. She has been working at the Trib since 2005. She can be reached at rsignorini@triblive.com.
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