DAPHNE, Ala. (WKRG) — A Daphne woman is learning the hard way that not everyone can be trusted, as her housekeeper, Lori Nicole Smith, has been accused of stealing over $20,000 in cash and replacing it with fake movie money.
According to Lt. Jason Lazzari with the Daphne Police Department, the woman had hired Smith, a self-employed pet sitter from Silverhill, to help around the house after she suffered an injury and was unable to care for herself. Smith’s responsibilities included cleaning the house and taking care of pets, but it appears she had other intentions.
It wasn’t until several months later that the victim realized her money was gone, replaced with counterfeit bills. Police say Smith swapped out the victim’s real cash with fake “movie money” that can be purchased online. The counterfeit bills were realistic enough to deceive the victim, but upon closer inspection, they clearly stated “For Motion Picture Purposes.”
“This is the first time we’ve seen something like this pop up with such a large amount,” Lazzari explained, noting that fake movie money has appeared in several drug investigations but never in such a substantial quantity.
Smith, who is currently out on a $7,500 bond, admitted to police that she had fallen on hard times and needed the stolen money to pay her bills. She claimed that she always intended to pay the money back, but so far, only $3,500 of the $20,000 has been recovered.
While the victim grapples with the financial loss, Lt. Lazzari reminded the public that “you never know who you can trust,” especially when it comes to people working in private spaces.
Smith now faces charges for theft, with the investigation still ongoing.
