CANTON, Mich. (WXYZ) — A woman featured in a reality TV show documenting the lives of women in love with prison inmates is now facing prison time.
Canton Police arrested Emma Barker, a foreign national from England, on Monday. She is accused of stealing packages from neighbors at the Ridgeline Apartment Complex.
“Those were either packages that were either at the office or at the doorstep of other apartments,” Captain Edward Johnson said.
Police say the investigation started about a month ago with reports of a few stolen packages. They found more inside Barker’s apartment while executing a search warrant.
Web extra: Bodycam arrest of package theft suspect in Canton
“I would say roughly 10 packages all the way up to 15 packages. We found Amazon packages that were addressed to other people that weren’t her,” Captain Johnson said.
Police say the reality TV star would receive gifts from fans that she would show off on social media. Once those gifts stopped coming in, police say she began stealing packages to keep up appearances.
“So she stole from inside the complex, posted these items online as items she was still receiving from her fans in order to try to get people to send her more products,” Captain Johnson said.
Barker is now facing a pair of felonies: larceny in a building, which carries a penalty of four years in prison, and receiving and concealing stolen property, which carries a five-year penalty.
“I would say she deserves it. If you’re going to go stealing packages, you don’t know if you’re going to get a TV or medicine,” said Joey VanGoethem, who lives in the apartment complex.
Some of Barker’s neighbors, like Colleen Manning, are raising their eyebrows. Manning says she’s had packages come up missing.
“Maybe that’s where my shirt went! I’m missing a shirt. I’m missing a package,” Melissa Osman said.
“I’m also very happy they identified our thief,” Manning said. “I hope the wheels of justice turn and to change her ways.”
Barker was featured in the reality TV show Prison Brides—which documented her relationship with Michigan inmate Curtis Bradford.
The attorney who represented Barker during her arraignment declined to comment, saying the court will soon appoint another lawyer to the case.
Barker was released from police custody on a $25,000 bond. She’s currently on a GPS tether and is due back in court next week
