Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A 56-year-old woman has turned herself in to authorities, after allegedly admitting she stole nearly $3,000 from her dying father when she went on a four-day shopping spree with his debit card.

It began with a call to a dispute at a Packwood residence in the summer of 2003 and after a warrant was issued for her arrest, Nancy K. Copelin disappeared.

Lewis County Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher said yesterday he finally recently found Copelin, living in Alaska.

Meager got a governor’s warrant for her extradition but Copelin contacted him before it was served.

“I told her if she got right down here, I’d put a hold on it,” Meagher said.

The former Packwood woman flew down last week, and appeared before a judge in Lewis County Superior Court on Tuesday to hear her charge of first-degree theft. Meagher allowed her to be released on an unsecured bond pending trial, as her plane ticket to return home the next day was already paid for, he said.

According to the nearly 12-year-old charging documents, two deputies were called to the 100 block of Holiday Lane in Packwood on June 5, 2003, regarding a assault.

The documents offer the following account: There had been a dispute over the ownership of a van belonging to Thomas Barnes who lived there.

“Mr. Barnes was in the process of dying, and the issue of who would receive his van had come up,” then-Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Michael Maltby wrote.

One of the parties was asked by his grandmother to move the vehicle, to take it out of the possession of Barnes’ daughter, Copelin.

In the process, her purse was retrieved, it fell to the ground and among the items that tumbled out were wads of cash and receipts.

There was $1,020 in $20 bills. There were also five receipts from Sears, Wal-Mart and an un-named business for the purchase of numerous items, totaling $1,787.44.

Copelin, then 43, was asked about the receipts and stated they were because her father had provided her with his ATM card and pin number, and told her she could go out and get whatever she needed.

When deputies spoke with Copelin a second time, she reflected her dad did not intend for her to make withdrawals from his savings account, and did not intend for her to buy most of the items that she had.

Meagher said the Alaska woman has been cooperative.

Her arraignment is scheduled for Dec. 3.

Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter

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