Ellington, CT — A Groton woman, Tracie Tarabek, has been arrested on charges related to identity theft and fraudulent activity after allegedly purchasing a vehicle using a fraudulent identification in 2023.
Tarabek, 53, was arrested on February 21 and is now facing serious charges, including first-degree larceny, first-degree identity theft, and third-degree forgery.
The incident occurred in 2023 when troopers responded to a car dealership in Ellington, where the finance manager expressed suspicion that a woman had used a fake ID to obtain a vehicle. The dealership initiated a transaction through a national bank, but two weeks later, the bank reported that the woman had failed to make payments on the loan. Upon further investigation, the ID presented by the woman was found to be legitimate in terms of license number, but the picture was not a match.
Months later, state police were informed that a woman using the same fraudulent ID was involved in a fund withdrawal incident in West Virginia. The woman was identified as Tracie Tarabek, who was later arrested for unrelated charges in West Virginia. She had been held on a $50,000 bond in connection with those charges until June 2024.
Based on the evidence gathered, state police issued an arrest warrant for Tarabek, and she was taken into custody by Groton Police on February 21. She is being held on a $750,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Rockville Superior Court on February 24.
Tarabek’s case highlights the risks of identity fraud and the ongoing efforts by authorities to investigate and prosecute criminal activity involving stolen identities.
