Woman suspected of swindling law firms arrested
11:30 PM CST on Friday, March 4, 2005
By DON WALL / WFAA-TV
NEWS 8 EXCLUSIVE

Click here for the Video!

Police in Dallas have finally arrested a woman suspected of swindling lawyers in Houston.

It all started with a suspicious co-worker whose Internet search uncovered the apparent con artist.

Dallas police arrested Tamera Montgomery for felony theft after a series of crimes allegedly committed against several law firms in Houston, where she briefly worked as a paralegal.

Montgomery kept changing jobs before the law could catch up with her, and she might have continued her apparent crime spree in Dallas if not for that co-worker.

Shawn Sutherland, a law clerk at the Storm Law Firm on the 71st floor of the Bank of America Tower in downtown Dallas, briefly worked with Montgomery.

"Certain things just didn't add up," Sutherland said. "She took a job, worked a week, then was sick a week, then quit abruptly. It was just a vibe."

Because Sutherland was suspicious, he did a Google search of her name and found a news story done by News 8's sister station KHOU. As it turns out, Montgomery was wanted by Houston police.

"Then it popped up with her photograph, and that's her," Sutherland said. "She sounds like she's got experience playing cons."

Sutherland called Houston reporter Jeff McShann, who called police.

As it turns out, eight Houston law firms had complaints, including thefts of checks. In one instance, jewelry from an estate case, locked in a safe deposit box, disappeared from a law firm - and so did Montgomery.

The jewelry later showed up at a local pawn shop.

"She'll go in and work at a business two to three weeks and gain their trust," said Rick Anderson of the Houston Police Department. "She'll get a paycheck, and go in and steal business checks, make them out to herself and go into mom and pop stores and cash the checks."

Montgomery was apparently shopping her resume to other North Texas law firms when she was arrested.

"I feel bad for her in a way, because her life is so messed up," Sutherland said. "But it definitely made for an exciting Friday afternoon."