Accused of I.D. Theft - Evidence? Attorney?

[magmort]

What is the name of your state? South Carolina

Identity theft was committed against elderly woman whose house I was renting from her daughter. She wouldn't provide me a written lease or permit me to transfer utilities to my own name, and she had me collect and forward her mother's mail to her. After I left the rental, the daughter filed a police report implicating me in credit card fraud against her mother (now deceased). I agreed to a polygraph, apparently unwisely. When I was called backin , police said they had evidence of my guilt but showed me only a copy of a postal mail forwarding order that had requested forwarding of the mother's mail to my new address, which I did NOT file, but no other documents relating to any fraud. Police claim they can compel a handwriting sample? Seeking advice on options for defense.

[stephenk]

By now I would guess you need a criminal defense attorney.

After you moved did you begin receiving the mom's mail at your new address?

[magmort]

I did receive a few pieces of forwarded junk mail for her, which stopped as soon as the daughter filed the police complaint, and which I thought the mail carrier had sorted out himself since they didn't have the yellow forwarding stickers on them (I had only moved two blocks away from the former house, and had the same mail carrier).

At my interview, the police investigator also had a local postal inspector present, who did not produce the mail forwarding order that I had filed for myself alone (not a group or family forwarding request). She claimed it was the only mail forwarding order on file, and that the handwriting was very like a sample that they had of mine -- I thought it looked nothing like mine.

Since then I have found the confirmation of mail forwarding sent to me after I filed my own postal request, and I'll be taking it to the p.o. today to try and locate the request I filed. Afterwards, I'll return to this forum and update.

The police investigator said he'd be in contact in a day or two to obtain a handwriting sample for State analysts to examine. Would it be wise to retain a defense attorney before acceding to their request for a handwriting sample?