Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Sirens & Gavels

Fraud suspect hid $26,000 in bra, police say

Employees found $26,000 in the bra of an accused thief booked into Spokane County Jail on Friday.

Lukeisha A. Harris, 24, the only suspect in an accused three-person fraud team who's been able to post bail, stashed the cash with several bank receipts, according to the Sheriff's Office. The Seattle-area resident is accused with Corey B. Jones, 25, and Elicionne L. Washington, 23, of stealing thousands of dollars from Spokane banks.

The trio is due in Superior Court this afternoon via video from the jail, where they spent the weekend. Harris posted bail last night, according to jail records.

The three suspects, described by the Sheriff's Office as a "fraud team that traversed Spokane," were arrested at the North Pointe branch of Chase Bank after employees at the Washington Trust Bank, 438 E. Hastings Road, reported a "heavyset" woman in black clothes and pink shoes had tried to get money with a stolen credit card.

Harris appears to match the bank employee's description of the culprit - she's 6-feet tall and 400 pounds, according to the Sheriff's Office. Harris and Washington both told different deputies they were Aurora Wright, according to a news release.

"As they dug through a bible for their identification, several pieces of identification fell out," according to a news release. "The ID’s all had the name of Aurora Wright, but with different photos."

The trio also had counterfeit Oregon driver’s licenses and cards stolen from six credit companies, the sheriff's office said. Detectives searched the suspects's Nissan Altima and motel room at the Comfort Inn on North Division.

Jones and the women also are suspected of taking $8,000 from the Washington Trust Bank at 3810 N. Maple St. One person wold ask for a cash advance with a credit card that wouldn't work, then provide a phone number to get the advance approved. A coconspirator at that number would provide an authorization number to override the credit card's inactive status, the sheriff's office said.



Public safety news from the Inland Northwest and beyond.