A Jefferson County grand jury has returned an 87-count indictment against five people accused of running an identity theft ring that allegedly stole more than $100,000 from multiple victims.
Two of the five suspects have been arrested and the other three are at large, according to a Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office media release.
The alleged ringleader, Teresa Porter, 44, of Lakewood, has been charged with racketeering, violation of Colorado’s Organized Crime Control Act, identity theft, aggravated motor vehicle theft, and forgery, the DA’s office said.
The other four suspects in the case have been identified as: Michael West, 46, of Lakewood; Robin Newberry, 45, of Lakewood; Wendy Montano, 45, of Aurora; and Pamela Rowe, 48, of Westminster.
They face various multiple charges, prosecutors said.
Porter and Newberry have been arrested and warrants have been issued for the others.
The indictment, which was returned Nov. 19, accuses the group of stealing more than $100,000 from individuals and businesses between October 2009 and August 2010.
The indictment alleges that the group, “acting as an organized enterprise,” stole personal and financial information and used the information to defraud victims’ credit and bank accounts.
The suspects are accused of using stolen information – including Social Security numbers and drivers license numbers — to open bogus individual credit accounts and business credit accounts.
They used the accounts to rent cars, access cash and purchase merchandise. They even rented an apartment as part of their criminal activity, the DA’s office said.
The group is accused of creating fraudulent checks and using the bogus notes to purchase merchandise throughout the metro area.
The suspects also used bogus checks to make deposits into accounts they had established before making withdrawals and moving on, prosecutors said.
Group members allegedly sold or pawned stolen or fraudulently obtained items and used the cash they gained on living expenses and to buy methamphetamine, the release said.
Nineteen individuals and 36 businesses have been identified as victims.
Investigators began building a case when Arvada Police took a complaint from the Red Lion Hotel about unauthorized use of a hotel credit card totaling $5,141. Porter had worked for Red Lion, the DA’s office said.
Businesses victimized include banks, credit unions, King Soopers, Safeway, convenience stores, jewelry stores, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com.
