Tabletop scam artist’s case goes back before a judge

Dozens of local business people scammed by Theresa Darrah of Palm Desert were promised restitution when she pleaded guilty two years ago. They were also told she’d spend time in prison if she violated the terms of her probation. CBS Local two stands for them, to find out why Darrah, who now goes by the name Theresa or “Reese” Stacey, is having her case go before a judge on Wednesday morning.

CBS Local 2 confronted Darrah about her scheme involving tabletop advertisements in 2014, and after hearing from dozens of people, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department detectives put together a case to arrest her in Jan. 2015.

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.

She took a deal in May 2015, pleading guilty to felony burglary and grand theft, and was sentenced to five years of formal probation. She was also barred from engaging in “any sales, promotion or advertising, directly or indirectly.”

If she violated those terms she was eligible for a prison term of up to six years and eight months.

But two months after her sentence, CBS Local 2’s Brooke Beare started getting emails and calls from Missouri, where people claimed a woman named Reese Stacey a pproached them ” trying to sell (me) on Open Houses that she would guarantee 300-500 people in attendance– Very convincing asking for $1250 down and another $1250 at completion.”

Other people wrote that Darrah/Stacey joined a real estate team in sales outside of Missouri, and eventually obtained her real estate license.

As recently as March, Darrah/Stacey, called herself a “marketing and advertising professional” on LinkedIn, although her profile was later deleted.

Repeated inquiries to Riverside County Probation about her new occupation were referred to St. Charles County Probation in Missouri.

But probation officials in Missouri claimed any information would have to come from “the state agency, office or court that deals with probation supervision and compliance in the sentencing state,” i.e. Riverside County.

After another individual from Missouri contacted CBS Local 2 this week, worried about Darrah/Stacey and a pending home sale, we reached out again to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

Concerned that Darrah may be scamming again, investigators contacted local probation officers themselves, who checked in with Darrah.

This week Darrah’s defense attorney, Riverside County Public Defender Naomi Coady requested a hearing to clarify the terms of her probation, reportedly to give Darrah a green light to keep selling homes in Missouri.

Palm Springs realtor Richard Martin, one of Darrah’s original victims, said he had not received any checks for restitution “in months,” and the ones he did receive “were less than $3.00 each.”

Attempts to contact Darrah were not successful.

Coady did not return requests for comment.

Riverside County Probation department spokesman Kevin Slusarski said he “couldn’t talk about the specifics of the investigation.”

Darrah’s hearing on Wednesday was brief, her attorney asked for an extension saying that their client couldn’t attend.

The judge agreed to extend the hearing to September 6.