Tabletop advertiser held on $1 million bail

A local businesswoman notorious for her hard sells and tough pitches was taken into custody Tuesday evening on dozens of charges, including burglary and possession of stolen property.

Theresa Darrah of Palm Desert sold tabletop advertisements across the Coachella Valley, high desert and mountain communities using several business names. She most recently sold advertisements using the name Reese Stacey for a publication called “Desert Cities Modern Woman.”

Darrah, 49, was picked up on a warrant at her home in Palm Desert, and is currently being held at the Riverside County jail in Indio on $1 million bail.

Jail records show Darrah was booked on five felony counts of first degree residential burglary, 18 counts of felony second degree burglary, possession of a drivers license or ID with the intent to commit forgery, 18 counts of grand theft, and misdemeanor petty theft.

Many CBS Local 2/KESQ viewers reached out to us to say they paid Darrah large sums of money for the advertisements and never actually saw them, or gave Darrah post-dated checks which were immediately cashed. Dozens of local businesses sued Darrah over the issue.

Stay with CBS Local 2/KESQ as we continue to follow this story.