An Orange Mound business owner says a woman with a long arrest record for charges connected to identity theft and fraud ripped him off.
Pia Sims owns a tax preparation business, giving her access to people’s personal information.
According to the Shelby County District Attorney’s office, Sims is currently facing three counts of identity theft and forgery. The Local I-Team caught up with Sims to ask her about her past and the new accusations against her.
“Before I go to jail for kicking your mother &$%#ing ass out here I’m going to ask you to get the &%$# from in front of my building and quit asking me all those questions cuz I’m gonna get touchy-feely with you fast,” said Pia Sims, accused of identity theft.
Sims wasn’t happy to see us show up at her tax preparation business to ask her about Anthony Elmore.
“She’s a smooth operator,” said Anthony Elmore, business owner.
Elmore says he put more than $2,500 worth of carpet in Sims store. He says she told him her name was Heidi Jefferson. Elmore says after finding out the credit card she used to pay for the carpet was bogus, the bank stuck him with the charge.
“I said this is a con job, so I called Memphis police,” said Elmore.
Only after Elmore picked Sims from a police lineup did he learn her real name. According to court records, Sims has a long arrest record. Here is just a sample.
She was convicted in 2014 and given two years’ probation for being part of an illegal prescription drug scheme.
She was arrested in 2013, according to the report detectives found nearly $50,000 in cash and the names of hundreds of people, their social security numbers, and other identifying information with her.
Last fall she was arrested for identity theft in two different cases. One of the cases police say she purchased nearly $20,000 worth of furniture using a stolen identity. Sims denies being convicted or charged with anything.
Then she gave us a warning, so we left.
“Move the &$%# from in front of the building before I get violent I’m gonna get real violent,” said Sims.
Sims says what happened with Elmore was just a misunderstanding. To date she has not been arrested or charged in the situation connected to Elmore.
She is due in court on the identity theft charges April 3rd.
