A woman is facing charges in Pierce County of bilking military members out of money in 14 states. Bobbi Ann Finley, 37, was arraigned Jume 10 in Superior Court in Tacoma on charges of theft in the second degree. Authorities claim Finley, who they said is nicknamed the "military mistress," has been married at least 14 times and the drained bank accounts of numerous military service personnel. "Ms. Finley has been a prolific and remorseless con artist,GÇ¥ said Prosecuting Attorney Mark Lindquist, "but now the jig is up.GÇ¥ Prosecutors give this account of Finley's alleged crimes: In May 2009, the defendant befriended an eventual victim. Claiming to be a United States Marine who had just returned from Iraq, Finley said she couldn't get a bank to cash her out-of-state checks. She convinced the victim to cash the checks and give her the money. The defendant wrote several checks, totaling more than $2,400. All of the deposited checks were returned because they were written on closed or non-sufficient fund accounts. After the checks were returned, the victim called the Pierce County Sheriff Department and reported the crime. In most of her cons, Finley either preyed upon military service members or claimed to be one. Lindbergh filed charges, and a warrant was issued when the defendant, who apparently fled the area, failed to appear for her initial arraignment in January 2011.The next month, an Alabama court sentenced Finley to three years in prison after she pleaded guilty to a felony charge of theft by deception. Once she served that sentence, she was extradited to Pierce County to face the theft charges here. Bail of $200,000 has been set for Finley.
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