Woman accused of charging an elderly victim's credit card

YORK, S.C. — Police said 38-year-old Nikki Fleming stole a credit card from an elderly woman she was helping, and charged nearly $8,000 on it in just two weeks.

Fleming is in jail, charged with dozens of counts of fraud and forgery.

"It bothers me that you'd take from somebody who's worked their whole life," said York Police Detective Mike Clark.

Fleming was a friend of a family member of the 87-year-old victim. Clark said the victim knew that Fleming needed money and tried to help her by giving her errands to run and odd jobs to do.

"She'd clean the house for her, maybe run out and pick up some medication," he said.

Police said on March 12, Fleming began using the victim's American Express card. Their records show she charged it 40 times between March 12-31, in York, Rock Hill and Chester. Each transaction got larger.

"The smallest would've been about $5, the largest would've been over $500," Clark said.

The elderly victim didn't even know her credit card was missing. It was employees at the York Bi-Lo store on East Liberty Street who became suspicious.

They saw a woman come in night after night, at a very late hour, purchasing prepaid credit cards.

Those cards are used like cash and can be traded for drugs. Detectives said Fleming admitted to having a drug problem.

Bi-lo employees contacted police and sent them surveillance video from the checkout counter at the store.

Surveillance video obtained by Channel 9 shows Fleming at the register in the Bi-Lo store. Her 2-year-old child is sitting in the shopping cart while police said she's using the victim's credit card.

Another picture from a local bank allegedly shows Fleming cashing one of the victim's checks in her own name.

"She was remorseful, very remorseful," Clark said, "and told me she wanted to pay the money back."

A check of Fleming's criminal record uncovered a long list of similar charges. She was sentenced to three years in prison for forgery, and has a long list of criminal charges going back 15 years.

Her bond was set at more than $48,000.

WSOC