A 52-year-old Minneapolis woman was charged Thursday with using credit cards stolen during car break-ins at a Chanhassen fitness center to try to run up more than $5,000 in charges at a nearby Target store.
Doreen Faye Atwell was charged in Carver County District Court with financial transaction card fraud, identity theft and fifth degree drug possession. She’s accused in connection with car breaks at Life Time Fitness on Nov. 12, Dec. 9 and Dec. 14.
In each case, victims called police to report that their windows were smashed and multiple credit cards were stolen from their vehicles.
According to the charges:
After each incident, surveillance video from the Chanhassen Target store showed a woman police later identified as Atwell allegedly using the stolen cards. She bought and attempted to buy gift cards, electronics and other goods with a total value of $5,179.
Atwell’s daughter agreed to help authorities find her. When they spotted her vehicle and pulled her over, she allegedly had a glass pipe with cocaine residue.
Charges say Atwell admitted to police that she used the stolen credit cards and that she “knows what goes on” regarding the break-ins at Life Time, but she denied taking part in the thefts.
Carver County Sheriff Jim Olson said the investigation into the thefts was continuing.
ABBY SIMONS
Article source: http://www.startribune.com/local/113035649.html
Category: Identity Theft Watch