Kaimuki woman faces forgery, theft charges

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

A 30-year-old Kaimuki woman was charged yesterday with second-degree forgery and attempted theft in connection with a scheme to steal checks from mailboxes and then forging checks and creating false lines of credit to support a drug habit.

Cathleen Freitas also was charged with the manufacture of deceptive identification, credit-card theft, third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, unlawful use of drug paraphernalia and possession of a forgery device. Freitas, whose bail was set at $100,000, is scheduled to be arraigned today in District Court.

Freitas was arrested Monday, nearly three weeks after her sister was arrested for attempting to cash a forged check at a Kai-

muki bank, according to an affidavit by Detective Christopher Lee that was filed in District Court on Monday. Marion Freitas, 44, was charged with one count of second-degree forgery in connection with the case.

Marion Freitas told police that her sister instructed her on Jan. 14 to open an account with a check that had been stolen from a mailbox and "washed." Cathleen Freitas wrote a $4,089 check payable to Marion Freitas and drove her to a bank in Kaimuki, the affidavit said.

After depositing the check, Marion Freitas was told to withdraw $2,700, according to the affidavit. But as the sister attempted to cash the check, a bank teller recognized that the check had been washed and called police, the affidavit said.

Police searched Cathleen Freitas' home and recovered two stolen credit cards, counterfeit Hawai'i driver's licenses, computer equipment used in counterfeiting, and drug paraphernalia, the affidavit said.

Reach Curtis Lum at culum@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8025.