Sheriff Ronnie Fields announced in a news release the arrest of one person following an investigation in the Southern Pines area of Moore County.
On Jan. 24, the Moore County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a person calling local churches asking for financial assistance stating that a family member had recently passed away. One of the local churches provided the person with financial assistance.
Investigators determined that the family member of the caller was, in fact, alive, and the suspect had lied about their death to exploit local churches.
On Jan. 26, sheriff’s investigators arrested Crystal Ingram, 43, of Aberdeen. Ingram was charged with two counts of attempting to obtain property by false pretenses and was admitted to the Moore County Detention Center under a $2,500 secured bond pending a first court appearance in Moore County District Court on Thursday, Feb. 17.
Ingram was also being held without bond for an outstanding parole violation warrant from the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Contributed.
