Volcano woman faces 19 charges including forgery and identity theft involving elderly person older than age 60

A Big Island woman who allegedly stole nearly $2,000 from an elderly person older than age 60 by forging several checks and then depositing them into her personal bank account now faces a slew of charges, including identity theft.

The Hawai‘i County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney announced Friday night that 36-year-old Rebecca Sutliff of Volcano is charged with the following 19 offenses:

• 6 counts of second-degree identity theft.
• 5 counts of second-degree theft (theft of property, exceeding $250 in value, from a person age 60 or older).
• 5 counts of second-degree forgery.
• Third-degree theft.
• Fourth-degree theft.
• Unauthorized possession of confidential personal information.

Sutliff made her initial court appearance Friday in Hilo District Court, appearing via Hilo Judiciary cellblock video.

Court records show District Court Judge M. Kanani Laubach found probable cause to keep Sutliff behind bars and maintained her bail at $116,000. Laubach also ordered Sutliff to appear at 2 p.m. Dec. 3 for a preliminary hearing.

The most serious offenses and their possible penalties are:

• Second-degree identity theft: Class B felony punishable by either 10 years in prison or 4 years probation and up to 18 months in jail.
• Second-degree forgery and second-degree theft: Class C felonies punishable by either 5 years in prison or 4 years probation and up to 12 months in jail.

Hawai’i Island police report Sutliff allegedly forged six of an elderly person’s checks for a total amount of $1,950 and deposited the funds via ATM into her personal bank account from July 20-29.

A warrant was issued Monday for Sutliff’s arrest. She was taken into custody Friday.

Hawai‘i Police Department Puna Patrol Officer Shaneil Azevedo, previously assigned to South Hilo Patrol, and South Hilo Patrol Officer Christopher Barto initiated the case, with Area I Criminal Investigation Section Detective Jenny Lee leading the felony investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Hawai‘i County Prosecuting Attorney Georgia Berrenberg.