Darien Police charge Bronx woman with larceny, forgery, impersonation

It started out simple. Police responded to a call at HSBC Bank at 151 Post Road for a fraudulent transaction complaint at 12:36 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 5. When police arrived, bank officials told officers that Stephany Jeffry, 20, of 1224 Walton Ave., Bronx, N.Y., attempted to withdraw $3,000 from an account flagged for security purposes.

That's when the questions started.

Police said when they questioned Jeffry, she presented the officers with a "bogus" California driver's license and identified herself as Jennifer Williams. She told police she lived in California and was visiting her sister in New York. She said her sister dropped her off at the bank and was parked in the adjacent Darien Diner parking lot in a black Nissan with New York registration, according to the report.

Police said they conducted a check of the area, but were unable to locate the vehicle. Although the driver's license was fake, the information pertaining to Jennifer Williams was not, police said; turns out Jennifer Williams lives in Las Vegas.

Jeffry, however, acknowledged her true identity to police, who said they also found a slip of paper in her possession with two account numbers and the corresponding balances. Police said bank personnel indicated that the account Jeffry attempted to withdraw funds was flagged because $2,800 had been withdrawn from the same account earlier in the day at the Stamford Landmark Square branch.

Jeffry admitted to being responsible for that crime. She stated a man and a woman drove her to Darien from New York. Police said she identified the male by a street name "Rugg." She told police Rugg provided her with the bogus driver's license as well as the account information. Jeffry stated that she was to be paid for withdrawing the money, but claimed to not know the specific amount she was to receive.

Jeffry was charged with third-degree criminal attempt to larceny, second-degree forgery, criminal impersonation, interfering with an officer and third-degree conspiracy to larceny.

She was held in lieu of a $20,000 bond and was arraigned Sept. 6.

mdavis@bcnnew.com; 203-972-4407; @megdariennews