(News release from the Delaware County Sheriff's Office)

A 33 year old Hancock woman was arrested on a combination of larceny, fraud, drug possession and vehicle and traffic charges Monday evening by Delaware County Sheriff's Deputies and Hancock Village Police.  Sheriff’s Deputies and Village Police officers received a number of complaints from area residents earlier this year who had made advance payments to Christen Wrighter Photography for photographs that they say were never delivered by that business.

Police say the Investigation revealed Wrighter collected full, advance payment from her customers prior to photography sessions from which she represented she would produce and provide the customers with photographs but ultimately failed to provide to the customers.  On Monday evening Sheriff’s Deputies, on the lookout for Wrighter in relation to this investigation, observed Wrighter speeding on State Highway 97 in the Village of Hancock and, upon stopping her, learned that her driving privileges were suspended.  After further investigation, Deputies discovered Wrighter unlawfully possessed a quantity of the prescription controlled substances Oxycodone and Roxicet.

As a result of the traffic stop, Wrighter was charged with Aggravated Unlicensed Operation in the Third Degree, two class A misdemeanor counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree, exceeding the posted speed limit and a defective tail lamp. At that time Sheriff’s Deputies also charged Wrighter with one count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree and one count of Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, both class E felonies, and two class A misdemeanor counts of Petit Larceny in relation to the investigation into the complaints relating to Christen Wrighter Photography.  Wrighter was also charged by Hancock Village Police with two additional class A misdemeanor counts of Petit Larceny relating to her failure to provide photographs to victim customers within that village.

Sheriff’s Deputies and Village Police report that, to date, five known victims have reported being defrauded of a collective total of more than $3700.  Anyone who feels they have been a victim of a similar scheme is encouraged to contact the Delaware County Sheriff's Office or the Hancock Village Police Department.

Wrighter was arraigned in the Village of Hancock Court and remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility in lieu of $5,000 cash bail or $10,000 bail bond pending further court action.

Christen A. Wrighter (Credit: Delaware County Sheriff's Office)
Christen A. Wrighter (Credit: Delaware County Sheriff's Office)
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