The story of former adult film star Farrah’s recent arrest on suspicion of stealing cash from banks has generated some national interest as CNN/Money and the New York Daily News both ran stories Friday about her.
Farrah, aka Joy Marquart, used the name Olga Mendoza during the thefts, the Daily News reported. She was busted Monday in New Jersey after presenting a Washington Mutual teller with a fake driver's license, police said.
According to reports, Marquart had managed to successfully scam $40,000 out of six other North Jersey banks, police said.
"She was very well-dressed" when she pulled off her scams, said Detective William Wicker of the Oradell, N.J., police. "She didn't need a lot of makeup."
The authorities believe the 30-year-old, ex-stripper worked for a New York-based crime ring that specialized in stealing from legitimate bank accounts, the Daily News reported.
"She was walking down the street, shopping in Manhattan when these two men approached her and asked if she wanted to make some fast money, as she put it," Detective Sgt. George Bruno of the Emerson, N.J., police said.
Dressed in a black pinstripe business suit and high heels, Marquart clickety-clacked into suburban banks carrying the identification and account numbers and forged IDs of real customers, police said.
Marquart would either ask to cash a phony check or make a withdrawal and then start talking on her cell phone during the transaction to prevent the tellers from asking too many questions.
