Woman accused of stealing dead child's identity to build life in Delray Beach

South Florida Sun-Sentinel ^ | September 9, 2011 | Alexia Campbell

[ConservativeStatement]

Maria del Carmen Diaz was supposed to be dead. The 8-year-old girl was killed in a car crash in 1981, but this week authorities said a woman stole the girl's identity years ago to build a life for herself in Delray Beach.

Juliet Sherry-Ann Mahabir, 38, allegedly worked at a bank, bought a house and went into debt — all with Maria's name and Social Security number, according to the Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office and the Florida Division of Insurance Fraud.

Mahabir was arrested Thursday on a charge of criminal use of the personal identification of a deceased victim, and faces up to 30 years in prison, the State Attorney's Office said.

[ConservativeStatement]

Rush could use this during his next Lifelock commercial.

[Safrguns]

And of course, this woman will go to jail, while Obama goes scott free.

[Chode]

so it's only illegal if they are dead then...

[Perdogg]

Just like in the “Day of the Jackal”.

[sinanju]

Yep, that's where I first heard of it. Oldest trick in the book, apparently. Don't forget 1987's Running on Empty that romanticized the old radicals on the run.

[Ken522]

She’s probably back in Trinidad by now - her bail was set at $15000, so she only had to come up with $1500 and she’s free as a bird ...

[CaptainK]

American college graduates can’t get jobs with Wells Fargo , but she manages to get one.

[bgill]

Mahabir, an undocumented immigrant from Trinidad, had been using the stolen identity since at least 2002

Call her what she is, an illegal alien. Maybe she can get Uncle Omar and Auntie Z's attorney and get off scot free.

[TexasFreeper2009]

it's only legal to steal someone identity if you are an illegal alien apparently.

[blackdog]

So at least she’s presidential material.

[Mouton]

“Since then, Mahabir has used the girl’s identity to get credit cards, buy cars and recently applied for bankruptcy, according to a Division of Insurance Fraud arrest report.”

I wondered why the division of insurance fraud was working on this. Seems to me as she applied for a passport, filing a false statement to get one is a federal offense beyond this one too. However the outcome, i am sure Onitwits idea of stopping deportations of illegal aliens will mean she stays here and given our PR court system, probably no jail time either.

[RnMomof7]

Do dead people need life lock ??:)