Upper Saucon Woman Charged with Identity Theft

A state police trooper investigating an identity theft case went to a home on Flint Hill Road in Upper Saucon Township.

The subject of the investigation was the homeowner’s daughter, Nichole Michelle Farley. The father said his daughter no longer lives there. In fact, he said, he doesn’t know where she lives.

What the trooper already had found out is that Farley lived at a south Bethlehem apartment in 2011 and was able to open accounts for natural gas and cable television service, allegedly by passing herself off as someone else.

Farley, 32, used the Social Security number of a former acquaintance, court records say.

The Bethlehem Catholic High School graduate is now facing charges of identity theft and related crimes. She racked up an unpaid natural gas bill of $174.38 and an unpaid cable television bill of $592, the records say.

According to a criminal complaint filed by Trooper Jonathan Eckhart of state police at Belfast, the case against Farley began taking shape when the former acquaintance – a Williams Township woman – received notices from a collection agency this past March about past-due accounts in her name.

The woman found out on her own there was a UGI Utilities account in her name for a residence on the 700 block of Laufer Street in south Bethlehem. She recognized the address as that of her former acquaintance, Nichole Farley.

The trooper called UGI and learned a woman who identified herself as the Williams Township woman – and used the woman’s Social Security number – opened a UGI account in April 2011 for the Laufer Street residence. She discontinued service at the end of August 2011.

Using a search warrant earlier this year, Eckhart obtained two audio recordings of account calls from UGI. He played them for the Williams Township woman. She said she heard the voice of Nichole Farley.

Also earlier this year, the Williams woman did a free credit check on herself and discovered Farley may have opened a Service Electric Cable Television account in the same way she opened the UGI account.

The trooper checked it out and found Farley opened a Service Electric account in May 2011. Modem service was added in July of that year. But the account was discontinued the next month due to non-payment of a $592 bill.

Eckhart also obtained two Service Electric documents with what is alleged to be the forged signature of the Williams woman.

Farley was arraigned Sunday by on-duty District Judge John Capobianco of Nazareth. She was charged with four counts of forgery, two counts of criminal use of a communication facility, two counts of theft by unlawful taking and four counts of identity theft. She had been committed to Northampton County Prison, but $2,500 bail was posted Monday.