Berrien County patrol deputies and sheriff detectives ended a nine-month fraud investigation Wednesday with the arrest of Christina Turnbo, 27, Elkhart, Ind.

Turnbo, of 352 West Garfield Ave., was extradited back to Michigan from Elkhart Wednesday and immediately bonded out. She is charged with larceny false pretense over $1,000. Her mother, Bettye Turnbo, 44, of Niles, has pleaded guilty to larceny false pretense over $1,000.

Both victims in this investigation had recently lost their spouses and unknown individuals had called them and represented themselves as either members of some type of banking intuitions or credit card companies.

The original complaint and investigation started in July 2009. A subject from Buchanan Township contacted the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office stating he received a phone call from a subject identifying himself as an employee from the United Federal Credit Union advising that his recently-deceased wife had outstanding credit debt and a person from the United Federal Credit Union would be over to collect a check. This complainant and victim, not knowing, agreed to provide a blank check to a female with his signature on it.
This caller, Bettye Turnbo, 3132 U.S. Highway 31, Niles was later identified and arrested. She had cashed this check at a bank in the Niles area.

The second investigation and complaint came from the United States Postal inspectors in January, the USPI contacted the Berrien County Sheriff Detectives Bureau, advising their agents had been working a credit card fraud investigation and requested Berrien County detectives to adopt their investigation because the value amount doesn’t meet federal guidelines.

This investigation involved a male victim out of Kentucky who had recently lost his wife.  An unknown subject made contacted with this person, representing Visa Card Services and again, and convinced this person give his personal information over, which was done.
Berrien County investigators found out that Christina Turnbo received a credit card in her name, with the Kentucky victim’s account number and went to several banks in Berrien County, making large cash draws.

Sheriff detectives located Christina Turnbo at an address in Elkhart and interviewed her.
This investigation is still continuing by both the United States postal inspectors and detectives from the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office. They remind the citizens of Berrien County to never give out any personal information out over the phone. If you receive suspicious phone calls or visits by unknown persons, call your local police department.