Crime & Safety

Woman Accused of Stealing, Cashing Fellow Tenant's Checks

Police charged the 35-year-old Newport woman with breaking and entering, forgery and receiving stolen goods.

Newport Police charged a 35-year-old Newport woman who claimed to be a landlord with felony breaking and entering, forgery and receiving stolen goods for allegedly writing herself checks from another tenant’s account.

The investigation began in early February when Newport Police got a call from the victim, who said she was looking over her bank statement and noticed her credit card account balance had gone up by about $1,000.

She called her bank and they said two checks had been written from the account – one for $400, made out to “MBNA” and another, for $500, to Geraldine Sullivan.

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Sullivan, of 30 Weaver Ave., reportedly told the victim she was the landlord and the victim said she never wrote the check.

The victim told police that she believed Sullivan would have broken into her room to get the checks, but Sullivan, when questioned by police denied entering the victim’s room and said the check for $500 was payment for rent. 

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The victim, however, said she always paid cash for her rent and police said the signature and handwriting on the check was “very different” from checks the victim had actually written.

Sullivan was arraigned in Second Division District Court on Thursday and was released on personal recognizance.

Court records show Sullivan was already on bail for a forgery charge from Cranston Police. She is due to appear in court on April 3 for an Attorney General screening on the new charge and on March 4 for a bail violator hearing.

Note: An earlier version of this story suggested that Sullivan was the landlord at the property. She was not the landlord, but claimed to be one. 


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