NORWICH – The Norwich City Police Department charged a woman Monday with several crimes, claiming she conned the elderly and stole debit cards.
Police arrested 37-year-old Thendara L. Hyder, also known by the last name Hartwell, and she was remanded by the Norwich City Court to the Chenango County Correctional Facility in lieu of $20,000 cash bail.
Deputy Chief Rodney Marsh said Hyder was a suspect in three different ongoing investigations and was charged in connection to the cases after police received information from the Public Defender’s Hotline at 336-8477.
Police Chief Joseph Angelino said the acts occurred between September and November. “These activities took place over the course of months and this is only what we know about,” he said.
According to Marsh, Hyder went door-to-door at a local senior housing center, soliciting donations for causes she didn’t represent or that didn’t exist.
“At the end of October to the beginning of November, she was going room to room collecting for school programs – the PTA and other fundraisers – showing the victims catalogs and offering them fake receipts for their orders,” said Marsh.
He added that the catalogs allegedly used in the scheme were actually expired material her children had brought home from school earlier in the year.
“Obviously though after taking the money, she just kept it for herself,” said Marsh.
Hyder was charged with first degree scheme to defraud, a felony, and petit larceny over the incident.
In a separate investigation in September, Marsh said Hyder was visiting an area nursing home under a religious pretext and was searching employee break rooms. He said she removed a debit card from a purse during one of these visits and was charged with grand larceny, a felony, and criminal trespassing.
“There was no reason for her to be at these locations except for the opportunity to commit a crime,” he said.
In another incident that took place Nov. 1, police claim Hyder, disguised in a hoodie and sunglasses, was caught on a surveillance camera using another stolen debit card and PIN number to empty a victim’s bank account.
She was charged with third degree identity theft and petit larceny over that incident.
Marsh said police were aided in their investigation through the department’s official Facebook account at www.facebook.com/norwichpolice, where police posted an image of the suspect taking stolen funds from the ATM.
“A photo was posted online and we received several emails and phone tips indicating she was the person in the photo,” said Angelino.
Police said Hyder is not employed and believe she was trying to supporting herself through these various schemes.
Police are asking anyone with further information, including additional victims, to contact them directly at 334-1212 or through the NPD’s tips line.
Hyder appeared in local headlines in September of 2007 after she allegedly reversed her statements as a key witness in a conspiracy investigation involving a threat against the life of a Norwich City Police officer.