An 'Instagram model' with 225,000 followers pleaded not guilty to charges relating to stolen credit cards, and nearly $30,000 in unauthorized charges, at Manhattan Criminal Court on Friday (April 29). 25-year-old Angelina Van De Wiel, otherwise known as MayaDutch, was arraigned and released on her own recognizance in spite of the prosecutions request that she be held on $10,000 bail. Despite her own admission that she possessed and made purchases with the cards, to the Netherlands native defended that she has been "falsely accused."
“The whole thing is a mistake,” said Van De Weil, following a sleepless night in the Manhattan Detention Complex ['The Tombs']. “I just hope that everything goes out the way as soon as possible,” she said.
The charges stem from a theft that was reported at the Dream Downtown hotel in Chelsea, on March 6. According to the complaint, the wallet contained a credit card, a debit card, and a Rag & Bone gift card. A police investigation traced charges to the cards and were able to obtain surveillance that showed a woman using the Rag & Bone card at one of their stores. Authorities were then able to locate and confront Van De Weil, who at that point confirmed her identity in the video, claiming that the card used in the video was a gift that she was unaware had been stolen.
“I actually flew in from Florida to go talk to the police,” she said. “I don’t think anybody that will be involved in this will actually go and fly from so far.”
She is due back in court on June 29.
Source: nydailynews.com
