New York State Police: Woman Withdrew $9,200 From Terminally Ill Fashion Executive's Account

COMMACK, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Authorities are asking for the public's help in finding the woman who they say stole the identity and cash of a terminally ill Manhattan fashion executive.

A woman posing as Kate Sullivan withdrew more than $9,000 from a Chase branch in Commack, Long Island, on Sept. 23, 2014, before unsuccessfully trying to repeat the crime in Freeport, police said.

Sullivan died five days later.

The suspect had Sullivan's Social Security number and somehow a signed copy of her driver's license, CBS2's Lou Young reported. The rest of the documents she used were forged, authorities said.

The bank manager in Freeport caught the forgery and alerted Sullivan's family in the hospital.

"I was just pretty violated and felt kind of helpless standing there with my sister and then knowing that there's some woman trying to clear out her bank account while she lays here fighting for her life," the victim's sister, Sarah Sullivan, who lives in Los Angeles, told Young in a phone interview. "I just want to make sure nobody else goes through what my family's been going through the last couple of months."

Surveillance images of the suspect have been released.

"That's crazy," a Chase bank customer said of the crimes. "I mean, I didn't think it was that easy to steal someone's identity, and it's crazy that could happen to any one of us."

The woman not only stole cash, but $4,000 in merchandise purchased with four store credit cards obtained in Sullivan's name, authorities said.

Police say the woman used the credit cards in the New Haven, Connecticut, area. They suspect she's familiar with both Long Island and Connecticut.

"I was already in shock and kind of like numb. And then when this happened, I just felt like someone ripped my heart out," Sarah Sullivan told 1010 WINS' Mona Rivera. "I was like, how could someone victimize her while she's in this condition?"

The 50-year-old Sullivan had worked as a marketing executive for fashion designers Kimora Lee Simmons and Diane von Furstenberg.

Anyone with information is asked to call state police at 631-756-3393.

"We had some positive leads that have come in from the New York State Police Facebook page, and then investigators are out currently interviewing people at this time," said Thomas Hughes with the New York State Police. "Hopefully we'll be able to bring closure to this case and make it an arrest on it soon."

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