Police say prolific con woman arrested at Snohomish County casino

A notorious scam artist who allegedly conned numerous people out of thousands of dollars by posing as a distraught widow in need of help was arrested at a Snohomish County casino after police plastered a wanted flier with her photo at casinos throughout the Puget Sound.

Acting on a hunch that Shirley Sue Urich, 58, may have been gambling the money she took from people, Lynnwood Police Detective Doug Teachworth had distributed numerous fliers and photos of the woman at casinos, according to department spokeswoman Shannon Sessions.

Last week, two security guards at Quil Ceda Creek Casino in Tulalip called the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office after recognizing the woman, Sessions said. She was arrested last Thursday.

According to police, Urich posed as a recent widow when she approached shop owners all over the region. She provided "very convincing stories" about needing an immediate cash loan to avoid eviction, or harassment, or to see a dying daughter, according to Sessions.

It was not uncommon for Urich to con as much as $1,000 from each victim, Sessions said.

"She always promised to return and give the trusting victims a gift for the kindness and generosity, such as her allegedly recently deceased husband's old car, motorcycle, gun collection, or something related to the type of shop the victim was running," Sessions wrote in a news release.

Sessions said she never returned.

In 1999, for example, police said Urich convinced a Redmond couple that her daughter had just been hit by a car and airlifted to a Texas hospital. They gave her $637. Earlier, she'd convinced a Sedro-Woolley businessman to give her $580 in cash to help her dying son, police said.

She was convicted of theft in Skagit County 10 years ago, but took off before she was supposed to report to prison.

Throughout the years, police said, the woman used at least 30 aliases, as many dates of birth and Social Security numbers and has stolen money from people in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming and Utah and Kansas.

She was, at times, known to travel in a motor home.

She is being held on $25,000 bail in the Snohomish County Jail on investigation of numerous theft charges. According to police, several felony theft arrest warrants have been issued for Urich.

"Urich has been difficult to apprehend due to her transient nature occasionally leaving Washington state, her use of numerous aliases, and her cunning and convincing act of deception," Sessions wrote in the news release.

Christine Clarridge: 206-464-8983 or cclarridge@seattletimes.com

Information from Seattle Times archives is included in this report.