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Deputies: Molino Woman Used Deceased Mother’s Credit Card 64 Times
August 29, 2013
A Molino woman was charged this week with fraudulently using her deceased mother’s credit card over five dozen times.
Rhonda Renee Fillingim, 42, was charged 64 felony counts of fraudulent use of a credit card and one count of felony grand theft. She was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $69,000 bond.
Her brother, Orbin Albritton, reported to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office that Fillingim had used their deceased mother Linda Albritton’s Sears Mastercard to make no less than $6,500 worth of unauthorized purchases over a two week period that begin one day after their mother died on December 31, 2012. Credit card statements showed 64 transactions during the period totaling $8,960.32, according to an arrest report.
Investigators said Fillingim admitted to using the credit card, on which she was not an authorized user. She told deputies she had spoken with Sears and would begin to repay the credit card bill, but Sears later told deputies that no payments or arrangements had been made..
Comments
21 Responses to “Deputies: Molino Woman Used Deceased Mother’s Credit Card 64 Times”
I have been using my moms credit card as an authorized user after she passed which I thought was ok. I have paid the bill on time every month. Now I see that’s not ok. What should I do?
David, you have done it again. Be still my heart!!
I have know Rhonda for a long time too. I can not believe she has done this and there is no excuse for it. Using her deceased mother as an excuse (per everyone else) is no reason to commit fraud and steal. Even if she did pay for her mother’s funeral and buy flowers gives her or anybody that right. I think it is worse that she did this to her mother, not to mention her dead mother. I pray for her and her family. I know she is a great person but great people make mistakes.
Hopefully , her brother will send a copy of his deceased mother’s death certificate to all three credit reporting agencies . That should put a stop to this kind of crap.
CONCERNING:
“I know one thing when I got thru with Sears and all the people running around Molino and Century making false statements causing me to be arrested.. I wouldn’t need a credit card I’d be set for life.. ”
They got you too?
Hold your head up, be brave.
David for the facts
New credit card verification regulations went into effect several years ago. The clerk was NOT following proper procedures in taking a cc with someone else’s name and verification that she was an authorized user. This may lead to her lawyer getting a lighter charge and plea deal, because the victim (sears financial) is complicit in not following required procedures. The estate would not be responsible because of the fraud. HOWEVER, just because you pick up ANYONE ELSE’S credit card and the merchant takes it and you know you are not an authorized user and do not have permission…you’ve committed a crime.
” A big mistake has been made and things are trying to all be sorted out..I know one thing when I got thru with Sears and all the people running around Molino and Century making false statements causing me to be arrested.. I wouldn’t need a credit card I’d be set for life.. When all the truth comes out maybe someone else may be arrested.”
Are you Rhonda or Darlene? It looks like you slipped up. Did Darlene get arrested or Rhonda? “All” the people running around and “making fasle statements” is not the problem–making purchases on a credit card that’s not yours–is the problem. You need to talk your lawyer before you make idiotic statements over the Internet.
My comment is if she used her mothers credit card for only one purchase after her mother had passed away she is WRONG period. For thoes who think this is ok then you are WRONG . All you kind loving people who think this is ok take up a collection and pay the bill. A thief is a thief no matter how little they stole. THOU SHALT NOT STEAL that is one of the ten commandments.
Till everyone knows the true facts don’t be so judgemental.. First of all no she didn’t put her Mother’s home up for bond.. She paid for all the funeral expenses for her Mother and bought flowers for the funeral with no help from any family member..Comments should never be made like that..Maybe everyone should get a statement of the credit card.. Her Mother had made charges on the card before she passed.. A big mistake has been made and things are trying to all be sorted out..I know one thing when I got thru with Sears and all the people running around Molino and Century making false statements causing me to be arrested.. I wouldn’t need a credit card I’d be set for life.. When all the truth comes out maybe someone else may be arrested.. Then people wouldn’t be so quick to run their mouth till they knew the facts..
@ Jerry King. It’s hard to believe you & others are trying to analyze & candy coat a horrible crime against a mom & state law! You may need to walk a mile in her shoes so you’ll be a mile further away from a criminal!
unbelievable. mrs rhonda would never do this she used to drive my bus when i was in school. she was not in the right fram of mind when this happened i firmly believe because she would not do this with her character. many things make people snap and not think
REGARDING:
“Give her a chance to pay it back and forgive. She is a child of God and we all deserve forgiveness.”
If I read this correctly, she has had over 8 months to begin to pay it back.
None of us “deserves” forgiveness, it is a gift but a gift which requires repentance of sin.
Don’t any churches teach that anymore?
(it’s in the Bible, for those who don’t know where to look)
And please note I haven’t passed judgment, just responded to the request and statement.
David for all God’s children
that they might be saved
And as for Rhonda. Girl I’m praying for you and folks need to remember judge not lest ye be judged. She admitted she made a mistake and is willing to rectify it and its should be between her and the Lord.
@DDD. As a clerk at a store I find your comments unnecessary not all cashiers are irresponsible if u write check I’d in the signature line on the back of your card that will help and if your cashier doesn’t ask point it out if enough people followed this simple practice it might help get the message across to all cashiers to be more responsibly.I have been in retail 21 yrs and agree alot if cashiers don’t check I’d unless over 25 dollars that’s because the CC company has that as a cut off. No sense in bashing us all. Ty and God bless.
She may have done a bad thing, but Rhonda is truly a good person. I have known her since the 80’s from church. When something traumatic like a death happens in your family, you are not always clear. She may have had a lot of extra expenses that may have occurred in her mothers death. Give her a chance to pay it back and forgive. She is a child of God and we all deserve forgiveness.
Please do not judge this woman! Something traumatic (like the death of a mother) had to happen to throw her over the edge. You don’t know what is going on in her head till you have walked a mile in her shoes, How do I know? I’ve known her since 1982, and know her heart, not her mistakes!!!
@ Randy,
Many times merchants do not even ask for ID not matter what name is listed on the credit card. Even if you ask the merchant/cashier if they’d like to see your ID, they simply state “No”. Used to be that you’d even have to present an ID, if you didn’t have the back of the card signed, and depending on the amount, you also don’t have to sign the receipt.
Merchants are to blame for a lot of fraud that occurs when one does have fraud on a credit card account. They simply seem to not want to be burdened with taking the time to verify if this is the true owner of the account or not.
If she is not an authorized user, why would a merchant accept the card as payment?
REGARDING:
“wouldn’t $69,000 Bond mean $6,900 to a bail bondsman,,,”
Sometimes they can put up something of value, such as her mother’s home perhaps.
David for clear thinking
wouldn’t $69,000 Bond mean $6,900 to a bail bondsman,,, Hopefully he didn’t take a credit card payment
Oh Rhonda…poor choices. What happened to the sweet,honest woman i grew up with in church?..wonder how your sweet mom would feel,RIP.