Local Woman Busted In National ID Theft Ring
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) - Stephanie Knowles was caught by Fort Lauderdale Police for allegedly being involved in a national identity theft ring.
It appears driver's licenses and credit cards stolen across the country were being sent to South Florida where they were used to make fake identities with the suspect's picture on them, according to police.
"It's a business trip, it's an enterprise," said Sgt. Randy Pelham of Fort Lauderdale PD. "They send them out, one crew will commit the burglaries, (and) Once they commit enough of them, they ship them back so they won't get caught with them."
Fort Lauderdale detectives say this is an extremely organized ring of crooks that send cards from as far away as the Chicago area.
Knowles was not an obvious crook and worked as a counselor in an after school program and as a security guard, according to Police.
Knowles is an after school counselor at Bethune elementary school in Hollywood. She is not employed by the school district, but by the YMCA.
The YMCA told CBS4's Ted Scouten that Knowles has asked for a few days off and that she cannot return to work until she speaks to the school administration.
Victims of identity theft are encouraged to report it immediately and urged to alert all three credit bureaus so that anyone trying to open a line of credit is denied.
