NY woman pleads guilty to using stolen ID to marry

[December 31, 2009]  NEW YORK (AP) -- A Manhattan medical assistant has admitted stealing a stranger's identity and using it to get married in the other woman's name.

Aracelis Cherico (uh-RAYS'-lihs chur-EE'-koh) pleaded guilty Wednesday to identity theft in a scheme that has kept her victim from getting a marriage license.

Cherico admitted she used Sara Benitez's information for years, including when Cherico wed in 1992. In recent years, Cherico has filed tax returns in Benitez's name to get more than $2,600 in refunds.

It's unclear how she got Benitez's information. Prosecutors say Benitez was denied a marriage license because of the scam.

The 46-year-old Cherico is expected to be sentenced to 60 days in prison and to help clear Benitez's name.

[Associated Press]

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