Malikah Shabazz, Malcolm X's daughter, in court on felony fraud charges
(CBS/AP) NEW YORK - Malikah Shabazz, the daughter of slain civil rights leader Malcolm X, appeared in a New York City courtroom for her arraignment Wednesday on charges that she defrauded the widow of one of her father's former bodyguards.
The 45-year-old, who was arrested in North Carolina two weeks ago on felony charges of identity theft and grand larceny, was ordered held in lieu of $100,000, reports The New York Daily News.
Prosecutors say Shabazz used the name Khaula Bakr and ran up an erroneous $55,000 credit card tab.
According to The Daily News, Assistant District Attorney Neil Gitin accused Shabazz of hiding out with her teenage daughter in a rural section of North Carolina to avoid prosecution; however, Shabazz's lawyer, Dale Smith, claims his client would have returned if she had known there was a warrant out for her arrest.
Investigators arrested Shabazz on Feb. 18 at her Mars Hill, N.C. home after authorities responded to an anonymous call to the Department of Social Services requesting that officials check on the welfare of her 13-year-old daughter, Chief Deputy Michael Garrison of the Madison County Sheriff's Office said.
Garrison said as they were looking into Shabazz they discovered the warrants which date back to 2009.
Shabazz is currently being held in protective custody at Rikers Island.