Identity Theft Part 7 (Patreon)

“Do you have a birth certificate, passport, or social security card?  Something with a government seal?”

“Let me see.”

Virginia didn't have those.  Jerry had them.  Virginia hadn't any way to prove she was who she said she was.  Even her old employer was gone from the country and couldn't be reached.

Virginia looked through her papers, but she couldn't find any official documents that said she was Virginia.  She had given them all to Jerry.  He needed them to open bank accounts.  She made him.  That was part of the practical joke.  She was mad at him at first, but when she saw what was happening and that he would go along with it, she played it for all it was worth.  Virginia never imagined that she could be accused of identity theft for being herself.

“OK, miss you have to come with me,” the police officer said.

Virginia was put into handcuffs (it was department procedure) and taken to the police station for questioning.

They took Virginia for pictures and prints, the first thing before questioning.  She didn't look like the picture the police had on file.  The one from Jerry's driver's license.  The fingerprints were checked with IAFIS from the federal government that would come back in a short time.  They wouldn't match with the fingerprints on file with the FBI.

They had already told her her Miranda Rights, so they didn't need to tell her again.

“Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

“I'm Virginia Carpio.”

"You said that before.  But the facts don't line up.  Even if you are Virginia Carpio, is this your bank account?”  The detective showed Virginia the account that Jerry was depositing his paychecks.

“Yeah, that is mine.”

“Sign your name here, we'll check it with the card used to open the account.”

Virginia knew that Jerry signed her name to open the account.  He used her birth certificate and her temporary license to open it too.  Virginia has never put a dime into the account, but she took a lot of money out.  She realized she was in trouble.  Even if she was the real Virginia Carpio, she didn't open that account and she didn't deserve the money in it. She did the only thing she could, “I want a lawyer,” she said.

While shooting the video in Nashville, Jerry heard a knock on his door in his hotel room.

“Hello?”

“Hello, is this Virginia Cardio?”

“Yes, who is this?”

“This is Detective Steiert.  Can I come in?”

“I suppose so, can I see your identification?”

“Surely.”

Jerry could see the badge and identification card through the keyhole.  He let the office in.   Jerry's heart was beating.

“What can I do for you?”

“You are Virginia Cardio?  You live at 31-12 Carman Street.”

“Not anymore.  I mean I still have an apartment there, but I haven't been there in a while.  What's wrong?”

“We found a woman staying there that says she is you.  She has also been stealing money from your bank account and using your credit cards.”

“Oh my goodness.”

“I need proof that you are the real Virginia Cardio.”

“What type of proof?”

“Your driver's license, social security card, and to be absolutely sure your fingerprints.”

“Is all that necessary?

“I'm afraid it is.  Especially your fingerprints.”

RaeLynn had entered the room and was listening.  “I know here.  She is Virginia.  I can personally vouch for her.  She has worked for me for months.”

“It's just a formality.  In a case of identity theft like this, we need to be absolutely sure.”

“It's ok RaeLynn.  I don't mind.”

“Great.  First, just the documents, I guess we don't need the fingerprints.”

“No fingerprints are fine to be absolutely sure.”

“I'm coming with you,” RaeLynn said.

“OK, it's no problem.  Virginia isn't being arrested.  She's the victim here,” the detective reminded everyone to calm the situation.

Jerry fetched his purse.  It had become personalized by now with his tastes.  It contained makeup that matched his skin tone correctly as well as the things he liked such as spearmint tic-tacs.  It also had his wallet which contained all of his new information.  It had credit and bank cards with Virginia's name as well as his driver's license (with Virginia's name and birth date that listed his permanent residence at RaeLynn's.  It also had Virginia's social security card.  Anyone looking through his purse would think that it was Jerry's purse and Jerry's name was Virginia Carpio.

On the way to be fingerprinted, Jerry asked, “Who is this person impersonating me?”

“She says she is Virginia Carpio.  We can't find any other name for her.  Perhaps she has the same name as you?”

“Oh, is that common?”

“Not too common.  Those who commit identity theft rarely use their own name.  But this woman seems to be an amateur.”

“Has she been arrested?”

“Definitely.  We did that before calling you.”

“How did you find out?”

“The bank alerted us to her.  She was taking out a lot of your money.  She always did it by ATM.  I don't want to go into it too much, but what she did was suspicious.  The bank contacted us and we investigated.  We knew you hadn't been in town for quite a while.  We arrested her as soon as she had enough evidence.”

“Oh my!”

Jerry didn't know what to do.  Virginia had been arrested for identity theft of all reasons.  She probably should be arrested for extortion.  She had made him take this job.  (A job he now loved.)   Then she stole a high percentage of his salary.  Jerry couldn't come clean now.  He had too much to lose.  What would happen if RaeLynn found out the truth?  What if she knew he wasn't only not Virginia, but that he was some guy?  In the course of his employment, Jerry had seen RaeLynn in many forms of undress.  He had seen her completely naked.  If she knew he was a man, she probably would have him arrested too.  It was him or Virginia.  He couldn't say anything.

Taking the fingerprints was a short process.  He had done it before, that is how they had his fingerprints in the first place.  If he didn't have those prints on file, he didn't know how this would turn out.

Later when Jerry was alone with RaeLynn.  “I think I should go home and see what has happened.”

“I understand completely.”

“I'll go to my apartment and see if that woman stole anything.  I'll take care of a few odds and ends.  I'll try and be back as fast as I can.”

“I'll miss you, but I'll get along.”

“Thank you.”

RaeLynn gave Jerry a hug.  The next day Jerry was on a plane returning home...to Virginia Carpio's home.  He had her name and her key.

Jerry arrived back in his hometown.  It had been quite a while since he's been here.  His old apartment (the one that belonged to Jerry) has been re-rented to a new family.  Instead of going straight to Virginia's apartment, he goes to the police station.

Jerry walks up to the desk office.  Jerry wasn't wearing his uniform, that didn't seem appropriate.  He was wearing a jumper with a long-sleeved top that had puffed sleeves to hide his 'masculine' shoulders.  His dress was mid-length, but he continued to wear very thick opaque tights.  Jerry had long since shaved his entire body of hair.  It was easier and safer to keep his masculinity hidden.  Jerry was still wearing Virginia's wig though.  Jerry had been acting like a woman for so long, that he didn't have to think about it anymore.

“I'm Virginia Carpio,” he said.  Jerry's heart was in his throat.  He didn't know how this would go.  He didn't know what to do.  How he got into this predicament he wasn't sure.  He was a bit to blame, but it wasn't altogether his fault.  He had been happier than he had ever been before.  He didn't want to lose that.  But he also didn't want to go to jail.

“Yes, Miss Carpio, what can I do for you.”

“Oh, I guess you don't know.  I've been out of town for quite some time.  I was called by a detective and told someone was staying in my apartment and using my identity.”

“Which detective.”

“I'm not sure, I was contacted in Nashville by Detective Steiert.”

“We don't have a detective named that here.”

“I guess he works for the Nashville police.  I suppose someone here contacted him and told him to contact me.”

Using the name Virginia Carpio the desk sergeant found who was in charge of the case.

“I'm Virginia Carpio.”  The detective who was in charge of the case stood up to greet Jerry.

Jerry stuck out his manicured hand as a woman would to be shaken.

“I'm Detective Mevergreen.  Nice to meet you at last.”  The detective shook Jerry's hand.

“What's going on?”

“Apparently this woman was saying she was you.  She was living in your apartment.  She was using your ATM to get money.  She even changed things on your account.”

“Oh my goodness.”

“How long has this been going on?”

“For some time.  We don't know exactly.  When was the last chem you were home?”

“I guess I haven't been home since I took my present position.  I guess four and a half months.”

“That narrows it a little.”

“Does she look like me?”

“Now that I see you.  I don't think so.  Maybe a little bit.”

“Can I see her?”

“We have a mug shot.  You can see that.”

“OK.”

The detective pulled up the mug shot on the computer.  Jerry recognized Virginia.  She looked miserable.  She didn't have any makeup on in the picture.  Jerry wondered if they wiped it off before the picture.  They didn't, she hadn't put any on.  They had arrested her a while after she went to bed.

“You are right, she doesn't look anything like me at all.”

The detective asked Jerry a bunch of questions.  Nothing that Jerry couldn't handle.  There wasn't much to say.

“Do you know how she got into your apartment?”

“No.”

“You didn't give her your keys?”

“No?”

“How did she get them?”

“I don't know.  Maybe she broke in and then used the spare set?”

“Are you sure you have never seen this woman?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know a Jerry Powell?”

“No, who is he?”

"That is who she said you are.”

“I don't know anyone by that name?”

The questions continued.  Jerry was digging a deeper hole for himself if it was ever discovered what had happened.  Every second he was making it more impossible to admit the truth.

When the questioning was over, Jerry asked, “Can I go to my apartment?”

“Yes, you can.  We already collected all the evidence we need.  You should look around and see what is missing.”

“I certainly will do that.”

Jerry took an Uber to Virginia's apartment.  He walked through the halls he had been in 100s of times before as Jerry.  He looked at the apartment door.  He saw the name on it, Virginia Carpio.  That was his name now.  Even though he had never lived here before, this was his apartment.  He was Virginia Carpio now and he possessed everything that Virginia possessed.

He put his key into the lock.  This was the first time he had done it since that fateful morning that he had an interview with RaeLynn.  The key turned easily, and he entered the apartment.

It was in somewhat of a disarray.  He could see where the detectives had rummaged around, presumably looking for evidence.  Jerry wondered if they found any.

It had been a long hard day; Jerry didn't feel like straightening up.  He sat down on the couch in the living room, flung off his shoes, and used the remote to turn on the TV.  He would never be Jerry again.  It was too late.

Epilogue

Jerry took possession of all of Virginia's things.  It was included with her name and her identity.  Jerry Powell was no more.

<Author's note, I'll call the New Virginia Jerry still to distinguish her/him from the original Virginia.  Although Jerry will be referred to as a she from now on.>

Jerry kept a few dresses but put the rest of the stuff in storage.  The apartment was turned back to the landlord and Jerry's car was sold off.  RaeLynn let Jerry drive a Benz anytime Jerry wanted to.  She even paid for the gas.

As for Virginia, she was stuck in jail.  She didn't have any way to raise money for bail.  She didn't have anyone to turn to.  Her parents weren't living and her neighbors might have known her as Virginia, but that didn't prove anything.

She couldn't access her own money to pay for bail or hire a lawyer.  It took six months before the case came to trial.  During that time, Jerry legally changed his name from Jerry Powell to Jerri Powell.  He didn't do it for his own sake, but for Virginia's.  She couldn't survive with a birth certificate and a social security number.  Jerry also arranged for Virginia to have a paid lawyer.  The lawyer's retainer was paid with Virginia's funds as well as the month that Jerry got by selling her car.  Jerry also earned money by selling the contents of both his and Virginia's storage.

Jerry made sure to be in the back of the courtroom during the trial.  She didn't testify against Virginia.  Nor did Virginia know that Jerry was there at all.  Through the lawyer, Jerry got word to Virginia about how she could get out.  She had to say her real name is Jerri Powell and admit to everything she had done.  That was the only way.  As long as she didn't admit who she was 'really' she would have a hard time moving forward.

After a plea bargain, Virginia was given a lenient sentence.  She had to admit what she had done and was given time served and probation.

Jerry enjoyed Virginia's elocution.

“My name is Jerri Powell.  I stole the identity of another person, my best friend Virginia Carpio.  I stole her funds and her apartment.  I am deeply sorry for what I have done.  I will never do anything like this again.”

Jerry wearing Virginia's apparel that she obtained from Virginia's apartment accepted the apology and the matter was settled.

Virginia left the country to work for Cecilia Lund in Europe.  Cecilia didn't know about Virginia's court case or any of her legal problems.  Cecilia was just happy to have Virginia back.

Jerry was 'promoted' from the housekeeper/nanny to RaeLynn's personal assistant and manager of household affairs.  Jerry managed the growing staff at home and was inseparable from RaeLynn when they were out on the road.

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