ROCKINGHAM, N.C. — Two women are behind bars after allegedly using the financial accounts of a deceased man to carry out a series of fraudulent activities, including identity theft and check forgery.
According to authorities, Mary Elizabeth Collins, 36, of Hamlet, obtained banking and savings account information from the estate of John T. Grant Sr., who passed away on December 19, 2023, at the age of 98. Investigators say Collins accessed the information on March 12 to alleviate her own financial difficulties and gain personal financial benefits.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office charged Collins with one felony count each of obtaining property by false pretenses and identity theft, along with a misdemeanor for possession or manufacture of fraudulent identification. An arrest warrant for Collins was issued on July 3, and she was taken into custody on July 22. She remains in the Richmond County Jail under a $10,000 secured bond, with a court date scheduled for August 7.
In a related case, Laura Gail Cox, 30, of Rockingham, is accused of using a forged check worth $35,853 to purchase a 2025 Toyota Camry from Griffin Toyota on April 9. According to a warrant issued by the Hamlet Police Department on April 14, the check drew from Grant’s estate account.
Cox was arrested on July 22 and faces multiple felony charges: uttering a forged endorsement, forgery of an instrument, and obtaining property by false pretenses. She is also facing identity theft and false pretenses charges from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, along with a misdemeanor for possessing or making a fake ID.
Additionally, Cox had an outstanding warrant in Montgomery County, where she allegedly used another woman’s identity during a May 13 encounter with a deputy. Authorities say she was found in possession of a plastic cup with white powder residue. She now faces further charges there, including identity theft, resisting a public officer, drug paraphernalia possession, and aiding and abetting DWI with a revoked license.
Cox is being held on a combined $20,000 secured bond. Her next court appearance in Richmond County is also scheduled for August 7, followed by a Montgomery County hearing on August 18.
According to the N.C. Department of Adult Correction, Collins has a prior fraud-related conviction from January 2024. Cox was convicted in 2020 on misdemeanor charges including breaking and entering and possession of drug paraphernalia.
