A Florida woman was arrested and charged with 166 felony counts, including grand theft and fictitious identification, in addition to 28 misdemeanor charges by stealing toys from the Toys for Tots program.
Tammy Strickland, 38, was arrested Monday, according to the Tyler Morning Telegram, for submitting counterfeit applications to for toys donations using 140 fictitious children’s names and 28 fictitious adult names.
Authorities received a tip that the former Toys for Tots volunteer would be picking up toys from a warehouse after submitting the fraudulent applications. Police set up a sting to capture and arrest her. She pulled up in a 2005 Cadillac Escalade with a utility trailer attached to pick up the toys, according to the news piece.
“Do you hear me?” Polk County sheriff Grady Judd asked at a news conference. “She drove up in her Cadillac.”
Judd described arresting Strickland, telling her she’d be held on $180,000 bail, to which she responded, “well, I guess I’m not going anywhere.”
“Well yeah, Tammy, you are going someplace,” said Judd. “You are going where we lock up Grinches. It’s called the county jail, or Grinch city.”
“And Tammy,” he added. “You’re going to eat pressed turkey on Christmas morning.”
Detectives searched Strickland’s home and found 118 unwrapped toys. A witness stated the toys were from Toys for Tots as well, Judd relayed.
This isn’t the first year Strickland has scammed Toys for Tots, Judd continued. He stated that in 2015, the same year she volunteered to pick up toys from local businesses, she also had submitted fake applications to the charity organization.
Judd is unsure of Strickland’s motives, saying she owned an income tax preparation service and had advertising free toys to customers.
“There would have been 140 children going without Christmas this year because of her ugly attitude,” Judd said.
The investigation is still ongoing and other charges may be pending.
“We’re excited that she’s in jail,” Judd said. “It makes my Christmas a happy Christmas.”
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