Ringgold, Ga., woman charged with fraud

Saturday, October 19, 2013

photo The Catoosa County Sheriff's Office arrested 52-year-old Heddy Edna Hubbard, of 383 Hullender Hollow Road in Ringgold on Thursday on two counts of financial identity fraud.

Police said a Ringgold, Ga., woman made thousands of dollars cashing fraudulent checks.

The Catoosa County Sheriff's Office arrested 52-year-old Heddy Edna Hubbard, of 383 Hullender Road, on Thursday on two counts of financial identity fraud. They said her victims were Ringgold residents Nellie Echols and Tony Messer.

The case came to light when Echols complained to the Catoosa County Sheriff's Office. At the time, according to an incident report, Echols did not know who was taking her money.

She told detectives that, from Sept. 10 through Oct. 3, someone had cashed three checks worth $3,650 that supposedly came from Echols.

When the Northwest Georgia Bank told Echols about this, she learned that the money had been returned for accounts that either were closed or never existed.

After meeting with the sheriff's office, Echols learned that even more checks had been charged to her account.

But the bank also captured a suspect on camera.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Hubbard pulled the same routine on Messer.

Detective Tim Busby said Hubbard got access to Messer's account without his permission.

Both events unfolded at the Northwest Georgia Bank, at 5063 Alabama Highway in Ringgold.

Contact staff writer Tyler Jett at 423-757-6476 or tjett@timesfreepress.com.