Arlington woman who scammed stroke victim, others sentenced to 10 years in prison
An Arlington woman who scammed residents including a stroke victim out of more than $10,000 has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for theft, according to court records and Arlington police.
But Debra Elise Turner, 61, has filed a motion to appeal the sentence which was handed down last week in Criminal District Court No. 4 in Fort Worth.
As of July 29, Turner had 477 days of time served in jail, according to Tarrant County criminal court records.
Turner remained in the Tarrant County Jail on Friday.
Turner bilked residents by posing as a car dealer or someone who could make repairs on the vehicles of residents, according to Arlington police.
In a plea agreement reached with prosecutors, Turner pleaded guilty to five theft charges. She was sentenced to 10 years on each charge.
The Arlington woman got 2 years on another theft charge and 108 months of probation for providing a false name, according to court records. The sentences will be served concurrently.
Two theft charges and two credit card abuse charges were dismissed on Monday.
A charge of theft of service $100 to $750 is still pending against Turner, according to court records.
Arlington police believe Turner made “cold calls” to residents, offering to repair cars she saw damaged, or presented herself as a car dealer.
Turner created fake invoices and used images of dealerships in Arlington to deceive customers, Arlington police said.
She bilked $8,000 from a Mississippi customer who spent money on a car; stole $4,000 from a stroke victim for a car; and $1,120 for truck upgrades from another customer, Arlington police said. She also took $83 to book a cabin, Arlington police said.
Her scams stretched from November 2018 until March 2019, according to court records.
Turner was arrested in April 2019.
Turner’s criminal history in Tarrant County began in 1988, according to Tarrant County criminal court records.
Court records indicated she has been in prison or jail four different times from 1993 until September 2017 for theft.
This story was originally published August 7, 2020 at 9:58 AM.
