There are plenty of stupid criminals out there. Take Benjamin Sickles, who robbed a branch of the sandwich chain Subway, then left a trail of potato chip crumbs, which led police to his door. Or counterfeiter Dana T. Leland, who tried to pass off phony $100 bills with a picture of Abraham Lincoln printed on them.
The newest inductee to this dubious fraternity is 26-year-old Mashana Harris. According to the Smoking Gun, Harris, who had eluded capture for four months, was busted Tuesday. What helped police establish her identity was a photograph that she willingly posed for in which she appears holding the credit card she stole and used to make $500 in illegal purchases.
As detailed in an Ocala [Fla.] Police Department report, when Harris sought to pay for $430 worth of goods at the beauty store, a cashier asked to see a government-issued identification card. Harris, however, replied that she did not have the requested ID.
Since the store employee “did not feel comfortable with the transaction,” he asked the customer if he could take a photo of her holding the credit card. For some reason, Harris — who was carrying plastic that was stolen from a 74-year-old woman — agreed to the in-store photo op.
Harris, who was picked up at Ocala motel, was booked into the Marion County jail, where she was charged with two counts of felony fraud. Harris criminal record includes prior arrests for larceny, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest.
