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Police arrest woman in ID theft, forgery case
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Peggy Farnsworth
Crystal Starr Wright booking mug
A suspected identity thief who was released from police custody in March by passing herself off as one of her alleged victims has been arrested and jailed.
Crystal Starr Wright, 29, a transient, is accused of a number of charges, including forgery, identity theft and providing false information to authorities.
Tempe woman in identity theft nightmare
VIDEO: Watch an interview with Margaret "Peggy" Farnsworth
Alleged ID thief fools police using 2nd fake ID
The May 22 arrest has brought joy and relief to the Tempe woman forced to endure the pain of ID theft, which included a newspaper story stating she was arrested.
"Now I know where (Wright) is, and I know she can't keep doing damage to me," Peggy Farnsworth said Thursday. "I feel safer at night now."
In March, Chandler police said they arrested Wright at a Wal-Mart as she attempted to pick up merchandise valued at $1,250 - goods allegedly ordered with another stolen identity.
But when being booked into jail, Wright provided documents identifying herself as Farnsworth. The ID provided was valid, authorities said, and confusing matters more is that the two look strikingly similar.
Because a criminal background check came back clean, "Farnsworth" was released the next day. Only when a national fingerprint database later showed the woman briefly in custody was Wright did police realize they shouldn't have let her go.
By then the Tribune, quoting the police report, had printed a story in its crime blotter with Farnsworth's name.
Wright remained on the loose until last week, when she was detained in Tempe for a probation violation. Soon after, police determined she was Wright.
"I hope she gets her just reward," Farnsworth said, "and she's asked for every bit of it.
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