2 Bowler women charged in fraud scheme

Two Bowler women are facing multiple fraud and drug charges after allegedly using an elderly man’s debit cards to steal nearly $8,000 from his bank account.

Shelly G. Davids, 32, and her sister, Kelly A. Davids, 41, are accused of using the victim’s debit cards on numerous occasions from May through August to make personal purchases that totaled $7,829.

According to the criminal complaint, the two were friends of the victim, who suffers from dementia.

Search warrants executed on the sisters’ residences on Sept. 3 also turned up marijuana and numerous items of drug paraphernalia, including some with residue that tested positive for methamphetamine.

Stockbridge-Munsee Police Chief Jim Hoffman said the allegations in this case, like many others law enforcement deal with these days, are rooted in the drug problem.

“It’s all tied to drugs,” he said. “The methamphetamine problem, that’s pretty much taken over everything we do now. There’s so much methamphetamine use and abuse.”

Hoffman said the main focus of this case, however, is elder abuse.

“This guy is a vulnerable adult and was allegedly taken advantage of,” he said. “And he’s not going to be able to recover any of that money. Typically, a lot of times this doesn’t get repaid back to the victim.”

Shelly Davids is facing 14 felony counts of theft, five felony counts of misappropriating identification to obtain money, one felony count of possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine and one felony count of possession of methamphetamine.

She is also charged with 40 felony counts of bail jumping.

Kelly Davids is charged with two felony counts of theft, two felony counts of misappropriating identification to obtain money, one felony count of forgery, one felony count of possession of methamphetamine, one felony count of second or subsequent-offense possession of marijuana and one felony count of bail jumping.

The felony theft charges carry an enhanced possible penalty because the victim was “an individual at risk,” according to the criminal complaint.

Shelly and Kelly Davids could each face a maximum six years in prison and $10,000 fine of convicted of those charges.

Identity theft for financial gain and felony bail jumping carry the same possible penalties.

The most serious of the drug charges Shelly Davids faces, possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, carries a maximum 15 years in prison and $50,000 fine if convicted.

A 40-year-old Keshena man, Manuel Mendoza, who was present at one of the residences at the time of the search warrant, was charged with several misdemeanor counts of possessing drug paraphernalia and two felony counts of bail jumping.

Mendoza is not charged in connection with the fraud allegations.

According to court records, Shelly Davids has four other felony court cases pending, including one dating back to 2016 where she faces felony drug possession charges.

She posted a $2,500 cash bond in that case set by Judge William Kussel Jr.

Court records show she again posted a $2,500 cash bond set by Kussel in a felony bail jumping and misdemeanor theft case filed in February 2018.

In March 2018, she was charged with misdemeanor counts of possession of marijuana and methamphetamine and felony bail jumping. She posted a $500 cash bond set by Judge James Habeck, according to court records.

In January of this year, she was charged with misdemeanor counts of retail theft and possession of drug paraphernalia and three counts of felony bail jumping.

She again posted a cash bond of $500 in that case set by Habeck, according to court records.

At a court hearing Monday on the new charges, Habeck set a $5,000 cash bond.

Shelly Davids is due back in court for an adjourned initial appearance Sept. 23.

Kelly Davids was ordered held on a $7,500 cash bond set by Habeck and is also scheduled for an adjourned initial appearance Sept. 23.