Moundville Woman on the Lam Has Lengthy History of Alleged Cons and Scams

Law enforcement officials were searching for a 32-year-old Alabama woman after an associate allegedly presented forged documents to secure her release.

Ellory Kate Johnson's release, however, wasn't the suspect's first alleged scam.

Johnson, a resident of Moundville, has also used the names Kate Nichols and Kate Strickland. She escaped from the Hale County Jail on May 11, 2026.

Johnson's long and bizarre backstory begins in 2013, when she was profiled in the Tuscaloosa News as Ellory Nichols, a student struggling with epilepsy but determined to start a ballet company at Stillman College despite the limitations of her illness.

The next time Johnson appeared in public records, the circumstances were far different.

What Other Charges Has Ellory Kate Johnson Faced?

Court records show Johnson was arrested on a felony charge of impersonating an officer of the peace in October 2021. She was released on a $10,000 bond.

Court records also show Johnson was investigated the following April for defrauding Calvary Baptist Little Friends Daycare, where she was employed as a staff scheduler. A Tuscaloosa Police investigation revealed that Johnson allegedly used the daycare's laptop to place 11 unauthorized Amazon orders totaling over $2,700 and redirected the shipments to an associate, a woman named Debra Nichols.

In June of 2022, a Grand Jury indicted Johnson on a felony charge of identity theft for allegedly obtaining goods using the name of a woman without her consent. Johnson was arrested on June 9, 2022, and released on a $10,000 bond.

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On December 27, 2022, a deposition was filed in Tuscaloosa County Court charging Johnson with first-degree theft of property in connection with the alleged Amazon daycare scam.

In July of 2023, Johnson was arrested for practicing medicine without a license at MentorUp Life and Lab Clinic on Jack Warner Parkway in Tuscaloosa. Johnson prescribed a weight-loss drug despite not being a medical professional.

READ MORE: Police Accuse Woman of Practicing Medicine Without a License at Tuscaloosa Clinic

Johnson was charged with practicing medicine or osteopathy without a license and attempting to commit a controlled substance crime. She was booked into the Tuscaloosa County Jail on a $30,000 bond.

Johnson faced an indictment from a Hale County Grand Jury in April 2025. After allegedly defrauding Rice Homebuilders out of more than $2,500 for concrete slab and block work through means of deception, Johnson was charged with first-degree theft of services.

Johnson was indicted by a Tuscaloosa County Grand Jury on March 4, 2026, on two counts related to the use of forged documents. A warrant was issued for her arrest after prosecutors alleged Johnson possessed a fraudulent court document falsely stating her prior charges had been expunged, as well as a forged letter from an attorney.

When Did Ellory Kate Johnson Escape from Jail?

Johnson escaped from the Hale County Jail on May 11, 2026, after allegedly using forged documents once more.

Moundville Police Chief Toby Banks told the Moundville Times that Johnson was released from jail after presenting a forged document convincing officials that authorities had authorized her release.

READ MORE: Authorities Looking for West Alabama Woman Who Escaped

Banks identified the person who presented the paperwork as Debra Nichols, an associate Johnson had previously been linked to in the 2022 Amazon theft case, who allegedly believed Johnson was her biological daughter.

Banks told the Moundville Times that Nichols was "bamboozled" by Johnson.

Johnson was being held in Hale County to face charges there while awaiting transfer back to Tuscaloosa County, where more charges were pending, and was also expected to return to state prison.

Debra Nichols was charged with permitting or facilitating escape with a $15,000 bond, and Johnson was charged with first-degree escape with a $30,000 bond.

When Did Law Enforcement Officials Locate Johnson?

Chief Banks told the Moundville Times that the duo was located in the Gadsden/Rainbow City area of Etowah County on June 11, 2026. The pair is awaiting extradition back to Hale County.