Deputies stop vehicle for violations, arrest passenger for tax fraud

It was at about 3 a.m. that a deputy stopped a vehicle for a vehicle code violation and when interviewing the occupants recognized the female passenger as someone that the deputy had once interacted with while working in the Kings County Jail. 

The female passenger told the deputy her name was Rachel Romero, but a search for records failed to produce anyone with that name. The woman informed the deputy that she was from Arizona and had never been in the Kings County jail.

Subsequently, the officer learned her real name was Leticia Brice. AKA Leticia Reynolds and she had four no-bail warrants for probation violations involving fraud, identity theft, grand theft, and other financial crimes.

Brice/Reynolds had been convicted of fraud and other charges after providing tax services to elderly clients and then stealing the tax returns from her victims. She had cases all over Kings County say law enforcement officials.

Brice was arrested on the outstanding warrants and booked into the Kings County jail. Her passenger, an elderly male, told law enforcement that Brice had been staying with him for about a month and that he knew her name as Rachel.

He also said she worked on his taxes this past week.

According to the Kings County Sheriff’s Department suspect Brice/Reynolds of victimizing the elderly. She gains their confidence and offers to complete their taxes, earning access to financial information, credit cards and bank accounts.

The Sheriff’s Department is asking that if anyone in the area recognize her by either name and she has offered to work on your taxes or has gained access to your information to please contact Kings County Sheriff's Detectives, Essman or Smyres at 559 852-2829.