A Chicago woman has been arrested and charged with hacking into Taraji P. Henson’s email account and stealing her identity.
Alicia Renee Newby, 26, sobbed when she appeared before a judge in Leighton Criminal Court. The mother-of-six was charged with one count of felony identity theft.
Her lawyer said Newby, who is reportedly two months pregnant, suffers from bipolar disorder.
Police say she may have also stolen the identities of other members of the Empire TV show cast. She used stolen personal information to rack up $12,000 worth of merchandise from retail stores and online. She had the purchases mailed to false addresses in Chicago.
She was charged with defrauding JP Morgan bank, American Express and PayPal, as well as multiple merchants.
The purchases were made in August, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Henson’s team called police when the 48-year-old noticed items were being mailed to two addresses on the South Side of Chicago under names she didn’t recognize.
Henson lives in Chicago where she once worked as a star on Fox TV’s now cancelled prime time soap opera.
Newby was released on a $10,000 signature bond. She was ordered to stay off the Internet.
Police did not say how Newby and Henson knew each other.
Photos by Patriot Pics / BACKGRID, Chicago City Jail
