Annaya Lisette Hines, 26, of Waldorf
UPDATE 5/22/2026: Annaya Lisette Hines, 26, of Waldorf, is facing multiple fraud, identity theft, and theft-related charges after detectives from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division said she used stolen personal information to lease an apartment on Talbert Place in Waldorf. Court records show Hines was arrested on May 20, 2026, and ordered held without bond after an initial appearance that night and a bond review on May 21, 2026.
According to court documents, Hines had first been arrested on May 14, 2026, on an active warrant. While she was in custody, detectives served her with a criminal summons in a separate theft case involving banking information and daycare payments. She was later released on electronic monitoring and listed the Talbert Place apartment in Waldorf as her residence.
Detectives said they later determined the apartment had allegedly been leased using the stolen identity of an elderly female victim who did not know Hines and was not related to her. Investigators said the same elderly female victim had been involved in a 2024 fraud case in Washington, D.C., in which Hines was identified as the suspect and accused of transferring $10,000 from the victim’s bank account into her own account.
Court documents state that the identification information used for the Waldorf apartment lease matched information connected to the earlier fraud investigation. Detectives said the elderly female victim told investigators she believed Hines obtained her personal information from an estate planning law firm. During an interview on May 14, 2026, Hines initially denied knowing the elderly female victim and denied involvement in fraud or identity theft, according to the charging documents.
Annaya Lisette Hines, age 26, of Waldorf
The documents also state that Hines later admitted she stole personal identifying information from a law firm where she had previously worked. According to investigators, Hines said she “used to steal people’s personal identifiable information and sell the information to people she went to school with,” and later began using stolen identity information for her own needs. Detectives also wrote that Hines admitted creating a fake email address in the elderly female victim’s name to apply for the apartment and said she stored victims’ personal information on a cloud drive.
The apartment complex owner reported a loss of $6,996.60, which court documents say covered two months of rent and related utility and service fees. Detectives said Hines had been living in the apartment since March 2026 and did not have legal access to the unit because the lease had allegedly been obtained through fraud.
Hines was arrested on Talbert Place in Waldorf on May 20, 2026, after detectives said she was found attempting to gain access to the apartment. She was transported to the Charles County Detention Center. In that case, she is charged with theft of $1,500 to under $25,000; possessing or using a false government identification document; identity fraud involving $1,500 to under $25,000; displaying another person’s government identification; identity fraud to induce another person to provide information; identity fraud to avoid payment of $1,500 to under $25,000; and identity fraud involving possession of personal identifying information valued at $1,500 to under $25,000.
In a separate case, Hines is accused of theft and theft scheme involving $1,500 to under $25,000. In that case, investigators said unauthorized transactions were made through a daycare payment system between September 2025 and January 2026. Court documents say payments totaling $9,100 were made from a business account to The Family Academy of Waldorf for childcare expenses linked to Hines’ parent account, while additional attempted or processed transactions from several financial institutions totaled $27,106.99.
The owner of the affected business told investigators he did not know Hines, had not authorized her to use the business account, and did not know how she obtained the account and routing information, according to court documents. The daycare owner provided records showing the transactions were credited to Hines’ childcare account, investigators wrote.
Court records show Hines remains held without bond in the May 20, 2026, arrest case. A court date in that case is scheduled for June 26, 2026, in Charles District Court. In the separate theft case, a court date is listed for July 10, 2026. Detectives said the investigation into Hines’ possible connection to other fraud cases is continuing. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Gordon at 301-609-6546.
5/19/2026: Detectives assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division have arrested a woman in connection with an identity theft and fraud investigation after she illegally used a victim’s banking information.
The investigation began after the victim reviewed their personal financial statements and noticed unauthorized transactions. Detectives determined that between September 2, 2025, and January 22, 2026, the suspect, Annaya Lisette Hines, age 26, of Waldorf, fraudulently obtained the victim’s banking information and used that information to make unauthorized electronic payments to cover bills. During that time, the suspect successfully withdrew approximately $9,100 from the victim’s bank account before the theft was discovered.
As detectives continued their investigation, financial records revealed Hines had processed approximately $27,000 in transactions involving five different financial institution accounts, indicating that multiple victims may have been impacted.
After several months of investigative work to identify and locate Hines, detectives obtained a criminal summons against her, charging her in connection with this case. Detectives also served a search warrant on May 14, 2026, at the residence where she was living. During the search, investigators recovered evidence related to additional identity theft and fraud-related crimes. Hines, who was also wanted on an outstanding arrest warrant on unrelated charges, was taken into custody and transported to the Charles County Detention Center. Detectives further determined that the suspect is currently on probation and has been wanted in other states for similar fraud-related offenses over the years. She is currently being held without bond, and detectives continue to investigate her connection to other fraud cases.
Tips to Help Prevent Financial Fraud
The Charles County Sheriff’s Office encourages residents to take the following steps to help protect themselves from financial fraud and identity theft:
• Review bank and credit card statements regularly for unfamiliar charges.
• Report suspicious transactions immediately to your bank or financial institution.
• Protect sensitive financial information, including account and routing numbers.
• Use strong passwords and multi-factor authentication for online banking accounts.
• Shred documents containing personal or financial information before discarding them.
• Monitor your credit reports for accounts or activity you do not recognize.
Anyone who believes they may be a victim of fraud is encouraged to contact the Charles County Sheriff’s Office at 301-932-2222. Detective Gordon is investigating.
