Nassau County Sheriff’s Office
Press Release
Submitted by Bill Leeper, Sheriff
February 9, 2015 5:30 p.m.
Nassau County Sheriff’s Office Deputies arrested the infamous “Serial Stowaway” Marilyn Jean Hartman, age 63, for Fraud/Impersonation, Defrauding an Innkeeper, and Trespassing as she was found staying at the Omni Resort Amelia Island Plantation without authorization.
On Sunday, February 8, 2015, the suspect used a false name to obtain transportation from the Jacksonville International Airport to the Omni AIP and checked in under another person’s name. She was then shown to her villa. When the real person checked in to the resort later that day, the suspect was contacted and asked to come back to the front desk because of an error in booking, but she disappeared. The next day, Monday, February 9, 2015, the suspect was found by Omni security staying in a room that was being renovated.
The suspect was arrested and booked into the Nassau County Jail.
The suspect has been arrested numerous times across the United States for trying to sneak on airplanes and staying at locations without authorization.
Editor’s Note: The following narrative was submitted with the press release from Sheriff Bill Leeper. The arresting officer who wrote the report on 2/9/15, was Deputy M. Murphy.
“On 2/9/15, I was dispatched to 39 Beach Lagoon Road (Omni Resort) in reference to a fraud and trespass.
Upon my arrival, I met with Darryl Harden with Omni Security. He advised that on 2/8/15, a female had used a false name to obtain transportation to the resort and checked in to the resort. He also advised that when the female was confronted later in the day, she disappeared and found this date to be staying in a room under renovation at the resort.
My investigation reveaed that on 2/8/15, the defendant arrived at the Jacksonville International Airport and a transportation van was waiting to take guest to the Omni Resort. The driver asked her if she was Maria Sandgren and she stated she was. She then took the transportation to the Omni Resort and proceeded to check in. She checked in under the name of Maria Sandgren and was then shown to her villa. Later in the day, the real Maria Sandgren arrived to check in. Robert Allison, who is a coordinator for the Biggest Loser Resort program, called the room that the defendant was staying in and asked her what her name was again. She stated her name was Maria Sandgren. He asked her to come to the front desk thinking an error had occurred during check in. The defendant then vanished. On 2/9/15, the defendant was located staying in a room on the first floor of the resort that was being renovated. She was then detained by Security awaiting my arrival.
I read the defendant her Miranda Rights, by card, to which she stated she understood and agreed to talk to me. The defendant admitted that she did use a false name to obtain transportation and lodging. She also admitted to sleeping in one of the unoccupied rooms under renovation. The cost of the Villa, for this program that she registered under, is $300 per night.
The defendant was placed under arrest and transporated to the Nassau County Detention Facility to be booked on the listed charges.
It should be noted that while interviewing the defendant, she traveled from Minnesota to Jacksonville on a flight with no boarding pass or airline ticket.”
No Boarding pass or a ticket?
what?
Surprising and I suppose that the Omni AIP will be requesting an ID when visitors check in, but it is shocking to me that she was able to get through TSA, board a plane with no ticket and take a flight! What? How?
“…it is shocking to me that she was able to get through TSA, board a plane with no ticket and take a flight! What? How?”
No joke! And it gets even more shocking after reading this local article.
From: http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2015-02-09/story/nations-serial-stowaway-arrested-northeast-florida-after-boarding-plane
“The Chicago born, retired legal secretary grabbed national headlines in August when authorities arrested her three times that month trying to board flights without a ticket.
But apparently she’s perfected her technique as she somehow dodged document checkers in Minnesota and boarded a plane for Jacksonville.
Hartman has no known family and has been homeless for the past five years, according to AP reports.”
Homeless!
This gal needs to be sequestered and encouraged [encouragement via 24-hour AIP room service and plenty of plump pillows] to reveal in detail how every cross-country step of her scam has been so successful, and for so long.
As a very frequent business and leisure traveler, I’m also totally baffled about how this individual was able to get through the TSA line and board the plane. While her arrest was for Defrauding an Inkeeper, the implications for airline security would seem to be the more salient issue. I hope the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office has passed along this information to the TSA authorities.
As for the AIP, are they the only major hotel chain in the US not asking guests for ID when checking in?
In addition to asking for driver’s license or passport for ID, how did she check in without providing a credit card. Even if a room is pre-paid, most lodging establishments request a credit card to cover “incidentals”. But yes, the TSA avoidance is more disturbing although I recently was passed through TSA where I accidently used my wife’s driver’s license instead of mine.