A former employee of the Harris County Clerk’s Office and the United States Postal Service is accused of using her jobs to obtain people’s personal information and make fraudulent purchases, including to buy cookies, according to prosecutors.
Sharika Prejean, 30, of Houston, was arrested Tuesday and charged with the felonies of credit/debit card abuse and fraudulent use of identifying information of an elderly person, according to Harris County court documents, which show she was set to be released from jail Friday on a $30,000 bond.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office alleged during a Thursday court hearing that Prejean was in possession of stolen mail when she was arrested at the county clerk’s office, where she was hired as a mailroom clerk last July. Prejean’s employment was terminated Tuesday, the day of her arrest, according to a spokesperson for the county clerk’s office.
Stephen Touchstone, the defense attorney representing Prejean, declined to comment.
The charge of credit/debit card abuse stems from an incident in September of last year, according to court documents, which show Prejean is alleged to have used someone else’s Mastercard to make purchases. Prosecutor Hector Garza said in court Thursday that Prejean allegedly bought cookies from Tiff’s Treats, among other purchases.
The other charge against Prejean, fraudulent use of identifying information of a person at least 65 years old, stems from an incident in September 2021 when she worked at a post office in Houston, according to the district attorney’s office.
As conditions for her release on bond, a judge ordered Prejean to avoid contact with the alleged victims as well as the county clerk’s office and all of its employees. She also must wear a GPS monitoring device and is ordered to remain at home between the hours of 10 p.m.-6 a.m. on a daily basis, according to court records.
Prejean’s next court appearance is scheduled for March 29.
Source: houstonpublicmedia
