WESTPORT — A New Jersey woman is accused of stealing a check mailed by a local resident, and forging a new value nearly 10 times greater before depositing it in her bank account, police said.

Bethania Sierra, 52, of Elizabeth, N.J., was charged April 22 with third-degree larceny, second-degree forgery, conspiracy to commit third-degree larceny and conspiracy to commit second-degree forgery.

Police launched an investigation Dec. 29, 2021, after a resident complained that a check mailed from their home had apparently been stolen and deposited in an unrecognized bank  account.

In the process, the check’s original $560 value was changed to $5,500, according to the report.

Using video-surveillance recordings, as well as search warrants and information shared with other law-enforcement agencies, Bethania Sierra was identified as the suspect.

A warrant for Sierra’s arrest was issued, and she was taken into custody Monday by a Westport police investigator dispatched to the Union County Correctional Facility in New Jersey, where she was being held.

After being transported to Westport Police Department headquarters, Sierra was charged and later released after posting $50,000 bond. She is scheduled to be arraigned May 6 at state Superior Court in Stamford.