Woman Gets 15 Years for Posing as Sheriff to Break Her Boyfriend Out of Jail

After Maxine Feldstein’s boyfriend was jailed, the pair hatched a plot akin to something out of a Bonnie and Clyde movie.

While in jail, Nicholas Lowe suggested to his girlfriend that she pose as a Ventura County sheriff deputy in an attempt to trick employees into releasing him into her care.

And so she did just that. According to court documents, in July of 2018 Feldstein provided false paperwork that fooled Washington County Detention Center employees into releasing Lowe.

Lowe reportedly told Feldstein to claim Ventura County was “having issues with overcrowding and all low-priority extraditions have been suspended,” during one of their visits.

So Feldstein called the jail and identified herself as deputy “L. Kershaw” from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office before informing them of the need to release Lowe. She then provided a forged document to the jail. Oddly enough, earlier that same day Feldstein had bonded out of jail.

Two days later, jail staff became aware of the forgery, and the resulting mistaken release of Lowe, when a real Ventura County sheriff deputy called while on his way to pick up the inmate. Jail staff then uncovered the plot by watching video of the couple discussing the plan during a visit.

The pair was initially successful in their scheme, with Lowe spending a month out of jail before the two were caught.

On Monday, 30-year-old Feldstein pled guilty to forgery, third-degree escape and second-degree criminal impersonation in Washington County Circuit Court. She was given 15 years in prison for the stunt.

In February, Lowe pled guilty to escaping jail, resulting in five years of parole. He managed to escape additional jail time due to time already served.

While the momentarily successful plot is indicative of serious dedication, the pair merely managed to swap one’s time behind bars with the other’s and they will now likely spend more time apart than if they would have left well enough alone.