Federal prosecutors planned to tell a jury today what kind of a woman they think Nancy Siegel is ? the way she allegedly defrauded her first husband, bilked her second and snatched money from multiple friends in financial schemes.
But they won?t get the chance.
U.S. District Judge Andre Davis ruled last week that prosecutors cannot mention allegations of past crimes Siegel committed in her murder and fraud trial.
Siegel, 59 ? who has lived in Ellicott City, Laurel and Baltimore ? is now accused of theft, fraud and the slaying of her elderly boyfriend, Jack Watkins, whose body prosecutors say she dumped at an Appalachian Trail access point in Virginia.
“The government wants to put in a lot of evidence that has nothing to do with the charges against her, evidence of so-called ?other crimes,? ” said Andrew Levy, Siegel?s attorney. “Evidence whose only purpose is to show that Nancy Siegel is a habitual thief. A jury is not allowed to convict a person of a crime because they?ve committed another.”
The government Friday appealed Davis? decision, postponing the trial until after the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals rules.
Prosecutors wanted to show the jury evidence that Siegel bilked first husband Charles Kucharski, second husband Ted Geisendaffer and friends Jack Butcher and John and Linda Mayberry.
Under the name Nancy Sweitzer, Siegel was convicted of two forgery charges in 1993, two separate forgery and theft charges in 1994, a false document charge in 1996 and theft in 1997.
Under the name Nancy Kucharski, Siegel was guilty of theft in 1995.
Under her current name, she was convicted of theft in 1999.
“The government wanted to go back 20 years and bring up this stuff and parade that in front of the jury,” Levy said. “They are simply not allowed to do that.”
Siegel met Watkins in 1994 and began to gain his trust and access to his financial accounts, prosecutors said. She began portraying herself as Watkins? girlfriend, fiancee or daughter, a grand jury indictment alleges.
She opened credit card accounts with his Social Security number, purchasing an automobile and jewelry, and induced Watkins to finance his home on two occasions, prosecutors said.
Siegel “successfully stripped Watkins of his assets, property and even available credit, rendering him financially destitute,” the indictment states.
She attempted to have Watkins committed under the diagnosis of dementia, but after that failed, she began drugging him and depriving him of food, prosecutors allege.
When Watkins threatened to leave her home, she strangled him to death and dumped his body in Virginia, according to the indictment. Siegel?s attorneys say she denies killing him.
