$2 Million ID Theft Case Broadens with More Charges, Suspects
Tom Webb at TwinCities.com Pioneer Press reports eleven additional suspects have been indicted in a $2 million identity-theft ring that operated in the Twin Cities and reached across the Midwest, according to the U.S. Justice Department. The ID-theft ring involved “a complex plot to defraud banks and retail businesses, primarily in the Midwest,” the Justice Department said. Earlier this month, prosecutors said that nearly 100 people were involved in the ring in some fashion. Prosecutors say that the scheme, which dates to 2006, involved low-tech methods of stealing driver’s licenses and checkbooks, as well as high-tech means of producing counterfeit checks. Dozens of victims’ accounts were pilfered. Charges also are expected against some bank employees and employees of businesses affected by the scheme. Banks hit by the suspects, according to court documents, include U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo, American Bank of St. Paul, Affinity Plus Credit Union and HealthEast Employees Credit Union.
