Former county temp charged with identity theft

[Christine Fulgham <christine () opensecurityfoundation org>]

http://www.jsonline.com/news/crime/105185304.html


A woman who worked as a temporary employee in Milwaukee County's human
resources department and her boyfriend are suspected of stealing the
personal information of more than 30 current and retired county employees,
sheriff's officials said Monday.

Starlita L. Sims of Milwaukee and Christopher Lee Jackson, who was living in
a federal halfway house at the time of the alleged crime, have been charged
with stealing the identity of one of those people but could face more
charges as the case progresses, Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. said.

According to a criminal complaint:

Sims, 26, was working for Adecco, a national staffing agency, when she began
working as a contracted employee for the county human resources department's
records section in December 2009. Sims had access to personal information
for all current and retired county employees.

The alleged fraud was discovered when Mary Ann Grimes began receiving calls
from credit card companies about credit card applications filed in her name.
Grimes had not applied for any credit cards and reported the activity to
authorities.

Grimes retired as deputy corporation counsel last October but still does
some work for the corporation counsel's office as needed. She declined to
comment about the case Monday because it is still open.

Investigators learned Sims' boyfriend, Jackson, had rented a post office box
and was accepting mail addressed to Grimes and five other current or former
county employees. Jackson also ordered a box of Grimes' checks and had them
sent to his post office box.

Jackson used one of Grimes' checks to try to obtain $3,500, according to the
complaint and the sheriff's office.

Jackson was living in a Milwaukee halfway house on the day he rented the
post office box and applied for credit cards in Grimes' name, according to
an affidavit filed in support of a search warrant. Jackson is suspected of
using a computer at the halfway house to file the credit card applications,
sheriff's Capt. Brian M. Barkow said.

Investigators who searched Sims' and Jackson's homes found identifying
information for 27 current or retired county employees in addition to Grimes
and the five others who were listed as receiving mail at Jackson's post
office box, according to the sheriff's office. Much of the identifying
information was written in a notebook.

Sheriff's investigators also took computers and bank records while searching
Sims' and Jackson's homes.
[...]

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