A 28-year-old woman facing numerous criminal charges had hoped to get released from custody Wednesday, but she’ll have to remain behind bars at least for a few more days.
Samantha Joy Ellison, who is in custody at the Lethbridge Correctional Centre, pressed for a bail hearing during an appearance in provincial court. But Crown prosecutor Lisa Weich said she only had a “bare bones” amount of disclosure on the case, and not enough to provide the court with circumstances relating to the charges.
Weich sought an adjournment based on Section 516 of the Criminal Code that allows an accused to be remanded for three days while the prosecutor prepares for a bail hearing.
Ellison is charged with fraud over $5,000, possession of the proceeds of crime over $5,000, forgery, uttering a forged document and multiple counts of possession of stolen property under $5,000, identity fraud, possession of identity information, possession of identity documents, possession of a stolen credit card, and breach of a recognizance.
Police say a woman used another woman’s identity to obtain a loan and buy a $40,000 Jeep in Edmonton. The woman was arrested after a patrol officer noticed a stolen license plate on a Jeep in the parking lot of a hotel in the 1000 block of Mayor Magrath Drive. Police searched a hotel room and recovered identity documents belonging to four people, as well as stolen credit and debit cards.
Duty counsel represented Ellison during her court appearance Wednesday and said the accused wanted a bail hearing the same day. However, the lawyer said she didn’t have any disclosure, either.
The matter was adjourned to Monday, by which time, the judge was told, Legal Aid may have appointed a lawyer for the accused.
Read the full story over at the Lethbridge Herald.
