Woman with fake ID arrested for grand theft at Hayden bank

A 55-year-old New York woman was arrested Thursday in Hayden after attempting to withdraw money from another person’s bank account.

Michelle Suzanne Harris, of New York, NY was booked into jail around 4 p.m. after attempting to withdraw $5,000 from a Wells Fargo account that was not hers, according to the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office.

Suspicious bank employees called authorities who learned the woman was using a fake Pennsylvania driver’s license, and that she had illegally withdrawn at least $15,000 in cash from the accounts of others while traveling from Manhattan, NY to Seattle, according to authorities.

Deputies arrested Harris on charges of theft, burglary, grand theft and possession of prescription medications without a prescription.

According to a police report, Harris told deputies that she was HIV positive and needed the money to pay for medication.

She said she had met a man at a motel who enlisted her in the plan to steal money from bank accounts, but authorities could not verify if there was another suspect.

Police arrested Harris at 204 W. Hayden Ave. and confiscated a variety of prescription drugs, a ledger, a bank check for $5,500 and a cell phone.

Harris told investigators that “this was my first time taking money from banks,” according to a report.

A burglary conviction carries up to 10 years in prison, while theft and grand theft can carry sentences of up to 20 years.

Harris’ bail was set at $75,000.