WA woman arrested for defrauding businesses of THOUSANDS on fake racial discrimination claims

Jasmine Latrice Willie, 32, known as the "Chicken Scam Lady," has been booked into Pierce County Jail on charges including multiple counts of theft and organized retail theft. She is being held on a $200,000 bail, according to jail records. Lakewood Police arrested Willie on outstanding warrants, which included four felony warrants and 13 misdemeanor warrants.

Willie allegedly carried out a large-scale scamming effort in which she would stroll into businesses and tell employees that she had spoken with management and was owed a refund, the News Tribune reported. She would then demand that the cashier give her money. The defendant, who is black, would say she was entitled to a refund because she had been discriminated against because of her race, or because she bought a huge batch of chicken for her church and the food was rotten, prosecutors said.

Willie has been known to police for her scamming behaviors in King and Pierce Counties. Her husband, Omar Rashid, was also taken into custody on an outstanding felony warrant, Fox 13's David Rose reported.

Police said Willie had stolen thousands of dollars by extorting businesses and convincing clerks that she was entitled to payment. She would reportedly look up the manager's name ahead of time and pretend to be on the phone with them in front of other store employees.

On Aug. 14, 2023, Willie allegedly entered a Daiso store in Lakewood and informed the employee that she had a video of the assistant manager being racist. According to prosecutors, she asserted that she would publish the video on Facebook if she did not receive a refund. Additionally, Willie asserted that the manager informed her via telephone that she would receive a refund. indicate that Willie allegedly stole items valued at $4.75 and departed the store with $554.92.

In another incident on Aug. 17, 2023, Willie allegedly requested a refund of $414 from a Dutch Bros in Lakewood. Prosecutors said that she claimed the manager authorized the refund after receiving "racial remarks" from an employee. The refund was issued to her in cash by the employee she scammed.

On Nov. 12, 2022, Willie entered a smoothie establishment and pretended to be on the phone with the store owner. Willie told an employee that she had made a purchase for her church group the previous week and that the staff had been unkind to her, claiming racial discrimination. She left the store with a refund of $201.81. According to the Auburn Police Department, Willie is suspected of stealing more than $800 from three different Auburn businesses on November 12, 2024. She has repeated the smoothie store scam multiple times, claiming to have purchased spoiled chicken from other restaurants.

She had pleaded guilty in November of 2022 in Pierce County to some felony cases that involved similar actions and was released from custody and placed on Department of Corrections supervision. However, a warrant was issued after she did not appear for the DOC.