North Vernon woman facing charges after multi-state investigation

A North Vernon woman has been arrested, accused of a fraud scheme that unfolded across several states.

According to Seymour Police Department, officers were called on Aug. 13th from a project management and maintenance company out of Georgia. The company representative said that they had sub-contracted with S&D Pump Construction and Plumbing  here for work on a water utility pit at a home in Indianapolis in July. However the work was never completed.

Instead, the company discovered that that the company’s Home Depot account had been billed for more than $10,000 at the Seymour store by S&D Pump Construction and Plumbing. That included purchases of a mower, battery-powered tools, car wash supplies and other items. The police investigation led them to seek a search warrant for a home on North State Road 3 in North Vernon.

Officers from the Seymour and North Vernon departments served the warrant Wednesday and during the search found most of the items purchased at the Seymour store. Police also found that four small children were living in poor conditions at the home. They contacted the Indiana Department of Child Services.

23-year-old Sarah C. Stokes of North Vernon was arrested on preliminary charges of fraud and theft.