A Vancouver woman accused of stealing $300,000 from a 90-year-old man is in jail on suspicion of 104 counts of forgery.
Becky L. Iverson, 50, also is being held on suspicion of 15 counts of identity theft, 47 counts of second-degree theft and 89 counts of unlawful possession of payment instruments.
Clark County Superior Court Judge Roger Bennett on Wednesday ordered Iverson to be held in the Clark County Jail with no bail because of the extent of the charges and the fear she would bail herself out with stolen money. Iverson also has a record of bail jumping in her previous criminal cases, Deputy Prosecutor Michael Dodds said.
Iverson was arrested Tuesday afternoon following an investigation into allegations she forged the man’s checks and withdrew his money for over a year and a half while helping him with his daily errands.
She worked at a real estate firm and befriended the man when he and his wife sold their house in 2007. She offered to help him with finances and “things spiraled downward from there,” said Clark County sheriff’s Detective Kevin Harper.
Iverson had access to the victim’s money because she helped pay his rent at an east Vancouver assisted living center. In turn, he paid her $600 a month for helping him with transportation or buying small supplies.
Alleged meth addiction
Court papers show Iverson allegedly stole $213,202 by making unauthorized withdrawals from the victim’s account with Bankers Life and Casualty Company, an insurance company for seniors. She allegedly stole another $89,559 by forging 104 checks.
Iverson allegedly had the victim sign blank checks in advance, according to court documents. She later filled in the amounts of the checks herself, some totaling more than $5,000.
The alleged thefts began Feb. 2, 2009, and continued through Aug. 10, according to court documents.
The case surfaced when a bank teller grew suspicious and alerted a supervisor who called the sheriff’s office.
“Things just didn’t look right,” Harper said.
Investigators say the thefts were fueled by Iverson’s methamphetamine addiction. She told detectives she uses the narcotic daily and would buy $200 worth as often as three times a week.
Iverson will be arraigned Aug. 27.
