HUNTINGTON, WV (WVNS) — A South Carolina woman pleaded guilty to a charge relating to identity theft in West Virginia.
According to a press release, on Thursday, July 9, 2026, 60-year-old Della Palestino, of Lexington, South Carolina, pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between August 23, 2024 and September 26, 2024, Palestino reportedly went to four financial institutions within the Southern District of West Virginia and used a different individual’s information, including a forged signature, to access the person’s account without their permission. Palestino withdrew $2,125 in Huntington on August 23, 2024, $21,920 in Spencer on September 19, 2024, $4,200 in Charleston on September 26, 2024, and $9,400 in Gilbert on September 26, 2024, the release stated.
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As part of her guilty plea, Palestino confessed to conducting all four transactions and withdrew a total of $37,645 from the bank accounts of the four people. She also stated that she used a counterfeit passport card to conduct one of the fraudulent withdrawals, the release stated…