Columbus man pleads not guilty to stealing thousands from Hurricane Irma evacuees

A man allegedly stole $16,000 from Hurricane Irma evacuees in an identity fraud case, according to testimony Thursday in Columbus Recorder’s Court.

Jeremy Keith Pritchett, 40, pleaded not guilty to 17 counts of financial transaction card theft, 14 counts of identity fraud and 10 counts of financial exploitation of an elderly person. He was ordered held in the Muscogee County Jail under bonds totaling $41,000.

The hearing was waived to Superior Court.

Columbus police received a call from one of the victims around 9:50 a.m. Sept. 26. She stated that she is part of a group that she relocated temporarily as a part of a mandatory evacuation from Palmetto, Fla., to Phenix City.

She reported that she visited the Columbus Wells Fargo located at 101 13th St., where she asked a cashier for a copy of her savings account balance. She was told that Pritchett was the only one who could provide her a copy of it, and the cashier went to get Pritchett from an office.

Columbus police have yet to release further details on the case, but 13 victims were listed on the report. Attorney Shevon Thomas declined to elaborate on the accusations against his client, but he stated that there were $16,000 in losses.

Sarah Robinson: 706-571-8622, @sarahR_92

This story was originally published November 9, 2017 at 12:48 PM with the headline "Columbus man pleads not guilty to stealing thousands from Hurricane Irma evacuees."