SOLDIER CAME HOME TO BOGUS CHECKS, BAD DEBTS

Ft. Riley woman pleads guilty to writing checks, making cash withdrawals

using identity of soldier who was deployed to Iraq

TOPEKA, KAN. – A woman in Ft. Riley, Kan., was sentenced Tuesday to six months home detention with electronic monitoring during a term of probation of eight years, after pleading guilty to stealing from a friend who was an Army sergeant deployed to Iraq.

Rachel Lindsey Hendry, 26, was sentenced during a hearing before U.S. District Judge Sam Crow.

“Ms. Hendry is under a court order to pay $35,000 in restitution as a result of her reprehensible conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Melgren. “If she misses a single monthly payment of not less than $400 she may be taken into custody and required to serve 24 months in federal prison.”

In September 2003, Hendry agreed to look after the high school daughter of a friend who was being deployed to serve with the U.S. Army in Iraq. The two women agreed that Hendry would care for the girl at Hendry’s home and would receive no pay for doing so.

During the sergeant’s deployment from Sept. 3, 2003, to Sept. 25, 2004, Hendry:
– Stole a total of $18,313 from the sergeant by writing unauthorized checks in the sergeant’s name and making unauthorized use of the sergeant’s MasterCard/Debit card.
– Was involved in a traffic accident while making unauthorized use of the sergeant’s car. When insurance refused to pay, Hendry had the truck repaired and paid for it using the sergeant’s account.

– Lived in the sergeant’s house while representing to the sergeant that she was living in her own house.

– Stole the sergeant’s ATM/Debit Card when it arrived in the mail and made unauthorized use of it by representing herself to be the sergeant.

– Wrote unauthorized checks to herself and her husband, as well as to businesses including Sonic, Sprint PCS, Little Caesar’s, Domino’s, McDonald’s, Mr. Goodcents, Burger King, Wal-Mart, KB Toys, Dairy Queen, Food 4 Less, Cracker Barrel, Shell, Jin Jin Garden, Auto Zone, Shop Quik, KFC and Hunam Palace.

– Made unauthorized use of the sergeant’s MasterCard/Debit card to pay businesses including Sonic Drive In, Shell Oil, Long John Silvers, Burger King, Arby’s, Wendy’s, Sirloin Stockade, the Red Carpet Inn, Club Coyote, the Ft. Riley Exchange and others.

Hendry pleaded guilty in April 2006 to two counts of theft and one count of making unauthorized use of a bank card.

The Army Criminal Investigation Command prepared the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Hough prosecuted.

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