Local author wanted for fraud, ID theft

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) - Newport News Police say a local woman forged checks, obtained property by false pretenses and engaged in aggravated identity theft leaving behind scores of victims.

Detective Liza Uzzle says Yvette Sherie Walters lived in a Newport News home with three children and other roommates. Uzzle says Walters opened up one of her roommates' mail and stole her identity.

"She stole the identity of a former resident that use to live here, and used her identity to purchase items and obtain property," Uzzle said.

A man who wished not to be identified says he fell for one of Walters' scams, a temporary work service.

"She told me we were going to make a lot of money, and I was going to be rich," he said. "I thought she was a legitimate business, but in the end she wasn't."

The man says he developed a friendship with Winters thinking he would become a long-term employee. He says Winters would take others' credit cards and buy books she wrote on Amazon.com under a pen name, Winter Giovanni.

"She would take the books, and re-sell the books again, and in the meantime she was getting royalties for selling the books," he said.

Matt Herrick who works for William E. Wood rental company says he received fraudulent rent checks from Winters.

"When the check came back, she would say, 'It must be some mistake,' and that the money was there," Herrick said. "It wasn't. The whole account was fraudulent."

10 On Your Side attempted to call Winters, but all of her numbers were disconnected. Uzzle says she is on the run, but she told police she would turn herself in upon her return to Newport News.