WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — A West Palm Beach woman has been arrested after police say she hacked into the bank accounts of a prominent West Palm Beach civil rights activist and stole thousands of dollars.29-year-old Shonse’ Kristin Monet Joseph was arrested Friday after an investigation by the West Palm Beach Police Department. She faces charges including organized scheme to defraud, fraudulent use of personal identification, unlawful use of computers or electronic devices, and grand theft from a person 65 years of age or older.Investigation uncovers account takeoverThe investigation began on August 10, when 94-year-old Edith Bush reported the theft and unauthorized takeover of three PNC business bank accounts belonging to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Coordinating Committee of West Palm Beach, Inc. The funds were allocated for specific community purposes, including assisting needy families with scholarships.According to police, investigators determined that Joseph had previously been allowed access to Bush’s personal computer, which contained banking credentials for the non-profit. Detectives found that the mailing addresses and signers on the organization’s accounts had been altered, and the delivery address was switched to a West Palm Beach residence associated with Joseph.Caught on cameraSubpoenas served to PNC Bank provided investigators with certified records, customer service call audio, and ATM security footage. Police noted that phone numbers linked to Joseph were used to access the accounts over the phone.Furthermore, surveillance videos from multiple ATM locations in late July 2026 captured a thin black female—matching Joseph’s physical description and featuring a distinctive forehead tattoo and gap between her front teeth—withdrawing cash using mobile device prompts. Bush’s nephew and a representative of the non-profit positively identified Joseph in the surveillance stills.While video surveillance directly tied her to $2,000 in specific cash withdrawals, formal charges account for the broader financial scope of the hacked accounts as final bank audits are sorted out.
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