Woman fails in attempt to scam church

Cy Ryan and Timothy Pratt

Thursday, Dec. 26, 2002 | 11:16 a.m.

Churchgoers at a Las Vegas house of worship were angry but they resolved to turn the other cheek after a con artist failed in her attempt to fleece the church only days before Christmas.

A 26-year-old Las Vegas woman faces arraignment 8 a.m. Friday before Justice of the Peace James Bixler on charges she tried to bilk the Shadow Hills Baptist Church out of $540 while posing as a representative of a charity.

The incident has prompted authorities to warn citizens that this is a busy time of year for criminals who prey on the Christmas spirit.

Deputy Attorney General Matt Dushoff said scams such as this hurt charitable organizations and cause some members of the public to be wary of donating to charities. Tim Hay, chief of the state's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said Nevadans should be aware of scams, which are more prevalent during the holidays.

Maureen Hignite went before Bixler this morning for what authorities call a 48-hour hearing. Bixler found probable cause to hold Hignite and reaffirmed her bail at $6,000, Deputy Attorney General Neal Rombardo said.

Hignite is scheduled to enter a plea Friday, Rombardo said. She currently is charged with two felonies, theft and obtaining money under false pretenses.

The attorney general's office on Friday intends to modify those charges to felony theft and misdemeanor deceptive trade practice. The reason for the modification, Rombardo said, is that theft and obtaining money under false pretenses essentially are the same charge.

Authorities said Hignite tried to pass herself off as a representative of Candlelighters for Childhood Cancer of Southern Nevada when she solicited a donation from the church at 7811 Vegas Drive, Dushoff said.

Kellee Raymer, business administrator for the church, received a call last week and said she was suspicious when the woman asked for the money in cash and told her to return the call to a cell phone, and not the charity's office.

"Nonprofits don't ask for cash," Raymer said. "I ... figured out she was not on the up and up."

Raymer called nonprofit officials to see if they had heard of Hignite, who was using the name of Rosa Lopez, officials said. Candlelighters told the church that she did not work for them.

"It's sad, isn't it, that someone would do this kind of thing?" Raymer said.

Dushoff, who also is on the board of directors of Candelighters, was notified, and a sting operation was arranged. Cash was delivered, and Hignite was arrested.

Cathi Poer Smith, executive director of the Candlelighters, said she does not recall her organization's name ever before being used in such a way, though she said a number of for-profit organizations have requested the use of the name for events but have been turned down.

"The saddest part was the exploitation of a so-called family and child who was passed off as having cancer," Smith said. "We see what children with cancer and their families go through all the time."

Smith said the big tip-off for the church was that they were told by the solicitor that they could not call Candlelighters.

"That was a big red flag," Smith said. "The church is a nonprofit too. They knew any legitimate charity could be contacted and that the nonprofit would be glad to provide a lot of information about its work plus a letter of acknowledgement with a tax number on it."

Candlelighters does not raise money by telephone or door-to-door solicitations, Smith said.

Hignite, who was initially identified as Maurenia Martinez in a fax from the Nevada attorney general's office, has no prior criminal record in Nevada, Dushoff said.

On Christmas Eve at Shadow Hills, church members filing into the service said they felt angry but were resolved to keep up the holiday spirit.

"This is a time of year that many people start to understand and believe the religious message, and it's a time of year where many people have more need," said Daniel Cassels, a member of the church for four years.

"My first reaction was one of a little bit of anger," he said. "But then I remembered that it was one person of many, and there are many more we can still help."

Pat Rahr, a church member for seven years, said she also felt anger, mixed with "pity for someone who would stoop that low."

But John Hachquet, who sings in the church choir, said that he would keep dropping coins in the Salvation Army's buckets, as well as helping the needy however he could.

"When you give, you give from your heart," he said.

"And if you misuse that, it's on the other person's hands. Like the Bible says, you reap what you sow."

Tom Sargent, a spokesman for the attorney general, said citizens should be careful about whom they're being generous with during the holiday season.

"Beware of people who don't have credentials, seem to have an unusual deadline or are willing to come to your house to pick up a check," Sargent said.

Smith urged people to "be generous but be careful."

"Make your giving in a two- or three-step process so you can research the charity on the Internet or by making calls to the Better Business Bureau, Chamber of Commerce or the United Way," Smith said, noting the secretary of state's office has records on all legitimate tax-exempt charities in Nevada.

Sun reporter Ed Koch contributed to this report.