Identity theft and forgery

Remember when I wrote that the person who robbed our mailbox wouldn't be stupid enough to put her OWN name and driver's license number on the "washed" check and then try to cash it.

I was wrong..a Saunders County, Nebraska Deputy sheriff arrested her and her companion Sunday morning..one day after robbing our mailbox, washing the check, forging it and taking it to our neighborhood bank to be cashed.

SOURCE: OMAHA (NE) WORLD HERALD May 14, 2008

OMAHA, Neb. -- Thousands of pieces of stolen mail were found in a car in Saunders County (NE) on Sunday, and authorities are now investigating whether the find is connected to an alleged identity theft ring found last week in a downtown Omaha hotel.

Saunders County Sheriff Kevin Stukenholtz said his officers performed a traffic stop at 2 a.m. Sunday and found thousands of pieces of correspondence that belonged to individuals other than the people who were in the car. There were bank statements, credit card bills and checks in the car, Stukenholtz said.

Deputies also found scanners and printers, along with other items needed to make fake IDs, the sheriff said. Stukenholtz called it the largest identity theft case he's ever seen.

"We're finding correspondence from Council Bluffs, Ralston, Papillion, Bellevue and all over Douglas County," Stukenholtz said.

Two people were arrested in Saunders County. Authorities said they're not identifying the suspects so they don't jeopardize the investigation. (this is the pair that robbed our mailbox and forged a $625.00 check!)

Stukenholtz said the thieves doctored the checks they stole.
"On a check that would have been made out to Visa for $300 or $400, they would wash that check, put their name in it, make a fake ID to match that name, then cash it," Stukenholtz said.

Authorities said they believe the suspects burglarized homes and took some of the mail. Some mail was snatched right out of the mailbox.

Stukenholtz said his office is contacting anyone who may be affected.
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I didn't wait to be called--I called the sheriff as soon as the story appeared on the 5:00 news. Maybe my $14.99 baby gift of a pair of Winnie the Pooh size 12 months pajamas is somewhere in the pile of things they found!!!!!


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad they've caught your dumb mailbox robbers! What a shame about the W the P pyjamas, still you never know, they could still turn up. Someone pinched my rubbish bin the other day - and it was full too! Some people defy explanation....

Anonymous said...

I talked to the GREAT sheriff's ofrice staff in Saunders County and he said he would go through the items found in their car personally to try to find my W the P pajamas. He said their vehicle was LOADED with stolen items, clothes, mail, computer items .. the back seat was packed as was the truck.

I call the sheriff and police weekly to be sure that "my" thieves are still in custody and, if necessary, I will come down and sign whatever is necessary to keep them there.

I have little tolerance for people who steal, and even less for ones who steal from ME!