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17 Aliases Later, Alleged Con Artist Arrested

WESTHAMPTON, N.Y. (CBS 2) -- She played on the sympathies of store owners and friends who accepted her bogus checks.

Police call her a con artist who swindled her way into high society. On Thursday, a woman with 17 aliases was behind bars.

She dined at the finest Hamptons restaurants, arranged invitations to the grandest of private parties, shopped at the most exclusive stores, arrived at East End beaches by way of a limo and driver and tooled around to dozens of charity events behind the wheels of Porsches and Jaguars.

Police said Anezka Jureckova and her Hamptons lingerie store were duped out of $2,500 -- one of the many victims of 63-year-old Nydia Vega, an alleged professional high society flim-flam artist accused of spinning lies of inheritance and opulence.

According to Suffolk County assistant district attorney Jodi Franzese, Vega's most recent charade in the Hamptons was a real doozey.

"Pretending to be a millionaire widow whose husband -- a millionaire -- recently died," Franzese told CBS 2's Jennifer McLogan.

During a stunning court bail hearing it was charged Vega goes by 17 aliases, has four social security numbers, two dates of birth and 15 addresses.

The district attorney said Vega's $30,000 check bounced for a Hamptons rental and some backyard sculptures. She owes $27,000 to Hildreth's department store for bedding and furniture and another $20,000 for a Harley-Davidson.

"She would pull up in Porsches or Maserati and you believed she had a lot of money, yes," victim Michael Chornoma said.

Other victims said the hoax was cruel.

When asked if Vega played on her sympathy, Jureckova said, "Yes, because I also lost my husband as well. I felt sorry for her."

McLogan obtained a photo from one the last Hamptons parties Vega attended. Police said Vega's crimes may go back to 1977 spanning three states and $10 million.

Calling her a flight risk, Suffolk's DA will seek $250,000 bail when Vega's hearing is continued Friday in Riverhead court.

Vega pleaded not guilty.

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