November 1, 2007

Woman who stole identities to attend Ivy League indicted in S.C.
By KATRINA A. GOGGINS
Associated Press Writer

COLUMBIA, S.C. --
A woman who used stolen identities to dupe Ivy League colleges into admitting her has been indicted in South Carolina, and a federal warrant issued for her arrest, according to court documents.

An indictment for Ester Elizabeth Reed had been sealed until Oct. 23. Investigators say Reed used a database shared by law enforcement agencies to steal Brooke Henson's identity, then used the South Carolina's woman's personal information to attend Columbia University.

The real Henson has been missing since 1999. Investigators do not think Reed had anything to do with Henson's disappearance but would like to question her about the Traveler's Rest woman, police investigator Clark Brazier said Thursday.

"We need to know where she was so we can establish her alibi and rule her out as a possible suspect in our case," Brazier said. "We haven't been able to do that yet because we haven't been able to locate her and talk to her."

Investigators believe Henson was the victim of foul play, Brazier said.

According to the indictment, Reed first began using Henson's identity in October 2003, when she obtained an Ohio ID card. Reed later used Henson's name, date of birth and Social Security number to get a high school equivalency diploma, according to court documents.

Reed took a college entrance exam in California in May 2004, using the score to apply to Columbia University. She began attending the school in August 2004, receiving more than $100,000 in student loans over the next two years, documents show.

In April 2005, Reed use a copy of Henson's birth certificate to apply for a U.S. passport, according to the indictment.

Investigators think Reed also used other people's identities to attend Harvard University and California State University at Fullerton.

Police got wind of Reed's scam in June 2006, when she tried to get a job as a housekeeper in Manhattan using Henson's name, birthday and Social Security number.

Reed's prospective employer looked into the woman's background, contacting law enforcement after finding a missing persons Web site created by Henson's family.

Investigators contacted Reed in July. She agreed to provide a DNA swab but failed to show up for the appointment.