Maxine Feldstein, 30, pleaded guilty Monday to forgery, being an accomplice to escape and criminal impersonation in the second degree after helping her boyfriend escape the Washington County Detention Center in July 2018.
An Arkansas woman has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for posing as a sheriff’s deputy to trick authorities into releasing her boyfriend from jail, officials said.
Maxine Feldstein, 30, pleaded guilty Monday to forgery, being an accomplice to escape and criminal impersonation in the second degree after helping her boyfriend escape the Washington County Detention Center in July 2018.
On July 27, 2018, officials with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a woman who identified herself as Deputy Kershaw of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and said she faxed over paperwork detailing the release of Nicholas Lowe.
Lowe, 23, was being held by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in connection with an arrest warrant out of Ventura County for felony theft.
He was scheduled to be extradited to Ventura County, but “Kershaw” said in an email to authorities her department was “having issues with overcrowding.”
“All low-priority extraditions have been suspended,” the email said, KFSM-TV reported.
“The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office herby(sic) rescinds the previous rendition order of inmate Nicholas Delrey Lowe from your custody and release any holds implemented by Ventura County,” it continued.
Officials released Lowe from jail.
Then, two days later, an actual deputy from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office contacted the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and was told what happened.
“We do not have a Deputy Krenshaw,” Capt. Garo Kuredjian told the Ventura County Star.
Deputies from Washington County said they found video show Feldstein visiting Lowe in jail on July 27. During the visit, Lowe told Feldstein to get the fax number for the sheriff’s agencies from both counties and to claim all low-priority extraditions were suspended while posing as a member of the Ventura County Sheriff’s office, officials said.
Feldstein’s call came only hours later.
Warrants were issued for the arrests of Loew and Feldstein on Aug. 1 and they were arrested a little over two weeks later on Aug. 17.
Lowe pleaded guilty in February to third-degree escape and was sentenced to a year in prison. He was given credit for 167 days served and must abide by a five-year suspended sentence after he is released, authorities said.
Judge Mark Lindsay on Monday sentenced Feldstein to 30 years in the state Department of Correction, but suspended half the sentence.
RELATED STORIES
