OCEAN VIEW, Del. - A New York woman has been extradited to Delaware to face multiple charges in connection with a bank fraud investigation spanning three states, according to the Ocean View Police Department.
Crystal Ann Mercado, 50, of the Bronx, New York, was extradited from North Carolina to Delaware on Oct. 15 following an investigation into a fraudulent bank withdrawal in Ocean View.
Police said the investigation began May 26, when officers responded to Taylor Bank on Atlantic Avenue in Ocean View for a reported theft and fraud.
Investigators determined that a woman had entered the bank and withdrawn money from a customer's account using a fraudulent Pennsylvania driver's license.
Through a joint investigation with law enforcement agencies in Maryland and North Carolina, Ocean View police identified Mercado as the suspect. Police said investigators also linked Mercado to similar incidents in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, and Harford County, Maryland.
Mercado was arrested in North Carolina on May 28 and held at the Dare County Detention Center before being extradited to Delaware on Oct. 15.
Crystal Ann Mercado, 50, of the Bronx, New York, was extradited from North Carolina to Delaware on Oct. 15 following an investigation into a fraudulent bank withdrawal in Ocean View. (OVPD)
According to police, Mercado faces the following charges in Delaware:
- Two counts of identity theft
- First-degree forgery
- Theft of $1,500 or more
- Attempted theft of $1,500 or more
- Possession of forgery devices
- Criminal impersonation
- Falsifying business records
The first five listed offenses are felony charges, while criminal impersonation and falsifying business records are misdemeanors. Mercado was committed to the Delores J. Baylor Women's Correctional Institution on a $20,000 secured bond.
Police said Mercado is also wanted by the Bel Air Police Department in connection with the Maryland incident. She is expected to be extradited to Maryland once her Delaware court proceedings are resolved.
The Ocean View Police Department worked with the Kitty Hawk Police Department and Bel Air Police Department during the investigation.
McLaughlin encouraged residents to regularly review their financial accounts, enable transaction alerts and promptly report unauthorized activity to their banks and law enforcement.
