A woman arrested last week by Roanoke Rapids police on identity fraud counts is no stranger to the crime, law enforcement investigation and court records show.

Roanoke Rapids Police Department Investigator Bobby Martin said it is likely that Jenine Marie Ellis will face additional charges in the city and has already served time in North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee for similar crimes, some of those involving the theft of ultrasound equipment.

There is no evidence, Martin said Friday, that the 44-year-old woman who is originally from New Jersey but was living in Rocky Mount at the time of her arrest last week stole ultrasound equipment from local medical facilities.

He said no medical facilities locally have come forward to report equipment missing.

Investigation into Ellis began in December when the victim, a coworker with Ellis at Halifax Regional Medical Center, reported her credit card was compromised.

Ellis, who was terminated by HRMC on March 13 and had worked there less than a year, worked in the same department as the victim, Martin said, and discovered the card was used at local businesses to make around $400 in clothing purchases. “As I continued the investigation, I was able to gain evidence with local businesses confirming she was the one to make the purchases.”

As the investigation continued, Martin also discovered that Ellis used a legitimate doctor's information to obtain prescriptions for a Schedule II controlled substance and diet pills.

The doctor was not local, Martin said.

Through the investigation, the detective was able to charge Ellis with three counts of identity theft; two counts of obtaining property by false pretense; financial card theft and possession of stolen goods.

He also learned Ellis used someone else's identity to obtain employment and discovered the possibility of more fraudulent activity, “To the point I have reached out to other agencies.”

That investigation showed fraudulent activity on a larger scale that went beyond Halifax County and started at least back in 2010 when she was charged with stealing medical equipment in Wake and Johnston counties.

The state Department of Public Safety shows 2008 and 2009 charges for obtaining a controlled substances by fraud in Wake County.

2010 probe

On April 26, 2010, according to a probable cause affidavit, a portable ultrasound machine “went missing from the CV testing area of (the) WakeMed Hospital Raleigh Campus. On this same date two ultrasound transducers were also reported missing from the ultrasound department located inside of radiology ...”

Rex Hospital, after email solicitations to other medical facilities, gave Ellis's name as a possible suspect. Rex was investigating Ellis for stealing similar equipment. “Ms. Ellis had previously been employed by Rex as an ultrasound tech and … she has technical knowledge of both how the machines and devices work and hospital protocols for storing and repairing them.”

Information contained in the affidavit also showed Ellis owned her own mobile ultrasound business — Optimal Imaging — out of Cary. “Due to the fact that Ms.Ellis owns and operates her own ultrasound business it became evident that she may be using the stolen ultrasound equipment for her benefit.”

She had Internet articles published about her business providing technical services using technology similar to equipment taken from WakeMed and Rex.

The affidavit also revealed that Johnston Memorial Hospital in Smithfield reported thefts of ultrasound equipment and there was surveillance footage of their suspect, later identified as Ellis, dressed in scrubs and claiming to be repairing equipment.

WakeMed surveillance footage, the affidavit said, shows Ellis wearing scrubs and carrying what appears to be the same two bags she had with her at Johnston Memorial.

In the footage she is seen leaving with a Phillips CX 50 ultrasound machine. “Jenine Ellis conducted this crime in the same fashion she conducted the thefts at JMH,” according to the affidavit, “She dressed in scrubs, carried two black bags and entered departments she knew would have the ultrasound machines she wanted. She then stated that she was there to repair equipment and then stole the equipment from the hospital.”

Rex investigators reported thefts happening in the same manner.

“Ms. Ellis has an extensive criminal history of larceny, obtaining controlled substances by false pretense and fraud,” the document says. “Ms. Ellis is currently under investigation by WakeMed Campus Police and Smithfield PD for the same types of crime. The Raleigh Police Department has an inactive case on Jenine Ellis for the same type of theft.”

WRAL reported at the time she stole two Phillips ultrasound transducers, valued at $26,000 each, from WakeMed Hospitals in Raleigh. She is also charged in connection with the theft of a Phillips CX 50 portable ultrasound machine, valued at $90,000, from Phillips Medical Systems in Smithfield.

Tennessee

In 2012, Bristol, Virginia TV Station WCYB reported that police in Greenville, Tennessee, said

Ellis followed a staff member through an employee door and then headed for the ultrasound department.

Police said that Ellis loaded her purse with nearly $30,000 in equipment, especially transducers, and used the name Dr. Weber.

She was arrested and charged with theft and the TV station, quoting a police report, reported that Ellis head-butted and bit the arresting officer.

Further investigation

Martin described Ellis as a person who skillfully took detours to avoid any of her past crimes showing up in background checks.

“She was using someone else's information to get gainful employment. I don't know how she got the job here. People can be deceitful. It was no fault of any of the businesses. They can circumvent the checks and balances.”

Because of the past crimes Martin has uncovered, he has enlisted the help of the State Bureau of Investigation into the Ellis case. “I guess she's bit of a masquerader, doing this to make money.”