'Career scam artist' gets 17 years in prison

A Crawfordsville woman who pretended that she was just beaten by her husband when she sought help from a West Lafayette church is headed back to prison.

Paula R. Florence, 61, admitted to the crime when she pleaded guilty in October to two counts of theft, two counts of forgery and to being a habitual offender. She was sentenced Tuesday in Tippecanoe Superior Court 2 to 17 years in prison.

That won't begin until May 2014 because Florence is currently serving time at Rockville Correctional Facility for similar felony convictions in Vigo, Montgomery and Boone counties.

Tippecanoe County Prosecutor Pat Harrington described Florence as a "career scam artist" whose schemes date to 1976 and span multiple states.

Harrington said Florence approached women working in a West Lafayette church last year under the guise of being homeless because her husband beat her, then kicked her out of their home. She claimed that she needed money to get to Crawfordsville.

Florence stole credit cards and checks from the women when they left to get her food and cash, Harrington said. The stolen credit cards were used to buy gas, pay for rental appliances and to rent a van.

Harrington said Florence claimed to need the van because her grandson, a Purdue University student, drowned in the Geist Reservoir and had to move his things home. The van was then found in Boone County.

That death turned out to be a lie, Harrington said.

"This should serve as a reminder ... don't let your defenses down just because of the season," he said. "Scam artists will use your good nature to their advantage. It's sad, but it's the reality we live in."

A year later after the church theft, one of the women learned that someone in Crawfordsville had used her identity to open utility and satellite TV accounts but never paid. The woman's gas in Tippecanoe County was shut off because of that delinquent bill, Harrington said.

Florence was further accused of pretending to be her daughter's former mother-in-law when she was caught stealing at a local Walmart. The prosecutor's office charged that woman and issued a warrant for her arrest, Harrington said. Charges were dropped when investigators realized Florence used the woman's identity.

Florence did not make a statement Tuesday during her sentencing hearing.