Bingo: Bingo! After 6-year search, police arrest suspect in hall

Late Sunday, officers stumbled upon Lorie A. Creekmore where they had long hoped to find her: in a bingo hall.

The 41-year-old Norfolk woman, described by police as an avid bingo player, had avoided arrest for nearly six years, all the while continuing to pass bad checks at local stores, Beach police spokesman Adam Bernstein said.

She was arrested as she sat at a table inside Norfolk's Suburban Bingo Hall, on Tidewater Drive, Bernstein said. The arrest ended a search that involved several officers and detectives, some of whom had gone undercover in local bingo halls in an effort to catch her.

"They came close numerous times," he said. "She's good."

Creekmore was being held without bond Monday at Virginia Beach Correctional Center, where she was booked on nine counts of passing bad checks and obtaining money under false pretenses.

She also faces similar charges in Newport News and Chesapeake. Additional charges are possible, Bernstein said.

Written by Shawn Day

hamptonroads.com