Daily Blog of nonsense: 12/2/07

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Modern Day Bonnie & Clyde

Police arrest "Bonnie and Clyde" in Greenwood
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22103905/
Greenwood - Police in Greenwood arrested a couple linked to a string of robberies in four states after a chase Monday night on the south side.

Calling them a "modern-day Bonnie and Clyde", investigators say Ronald Palmer and Savannah Myers admitted to nearly a dozen crimes, most of them bank robberies. Myers was recently released from the Marion County Jail for a similar crime.

"They admitted to robberies in Louisville and Jeffersonville," said Matt Fillenwarth, Greenwood Police Department. "They admitted to a couple other robberies in the Indianapolis jurisdiction."

Police believe the duo is responsible for robberies in Missouri and Ohio as well. Investigators in Louisville and Jeffersonville contacted local police when they discovered the couple was living in Greenwood. Police there kept a close eye on the apartment, and followed the two when they left by car Monday evening.

Officers tried to pull them over on the interstate, but that resulted in a chase north on I-65 and finally to a Beech Grove hotel, where a foot chase ensued. Police chased the two across six lanes of rush hour traffic on the highway before the two were caught.

"You don't get too many male-female bank robbery teams. It was a little unusual," Fillenwarth said.

Police say Myers would go into the banks while Palmer, considered "the Michael Jordan of weightlifting" who won a contest as "strongest man in the world", drove the getaway car.

"That's what she liked to do, brandish the gun, go into the bank, order everyone down," Fillenwarth said.

Police say they found dye-stained money in the couple's apartment. They also say the couple led them to a gun used in two of the robberies hidden under a vending machine in the hotel where the car chase ended. A Greenwood officer was injured during the chase.

Myers was arrested for a bank robbery in Indianapolis and released on bond when she allegedly committed the crimes in Louisville and Jeffersonville. Both are currently in the Johnson County jail.

Jet-Setters Charged With Identity Theft
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gIGiwX_6-n_B-u1ipXyNzVBg1EGQD8TAN3DG1
They were young, rich and in love.

But the jet-setters financed their fun on the credit cards of unsuspecting neighbors in their high-end apartment building and other identity-fraud victims, police said Monday.

Jocelyn Kirsch, 22, and Edward K. Anderton, 25, were charged Friday with identity theft, forgery, unlawful use of a computer and a laundry list of other counts.

Their fraud scheme, estimated at $100,000 this year alone, paid for jaunts to Paris, London and Hawaii and other luxury perks, including Kirsch's stop at a tony salon for $1,700 worth of hair extensions, police said.

"They were two young people that were given many gifts in life," said Detective Terry Sweeney, who spoke of the couple's supportive families and private schooling. "And the very best thing they could do was victimize other people."

It was not immediately clear if the couple had hired attorneys. Neither has a listed telephone number in Philadelphia.

Police started investigating Nov. 19 after one of the couple's neighbors reported that she thought her identity had been stolen. A day later, the woman heard from a local UPS store about a waiting package, although she had not ordered anything.

Police kept an eye on the store and arrested Anderton and Kirsch on Friday when they walked in to pick up the package, detectives said.

A weekend search of the couple's $3,000-a-month apartment turned up a cache of tech toys: four computers, two printers, a scanner and an industrial machine that makes ID cards. Police also found $17,500 in cash, dozens of credit cards and fake drivers' licenses, and keys to unlock many of the apartments and mailboxes in their upscale Rittenhouse Square apartment building. Police are not yet sure how they got the keys.

"They were like a parasite that infected that building," Sweeney said.

The search also turned up a book titled, "The Art of Cheating: A Nasty Little Book for Tricky Little Schemers and Their Hapless Victims," as well as a newspaper article on "How to Spot Fake IDs."

Police believe the scheme dates back at least two years and involves victims beyond the apartment house. A slideshow found on one of their computers shows the couple's high-flying travels: kissing in front of the Eiffel Tower, sporting matching red swim wear at a ritzy oceanfront resort; and dining at an elegant restaurant.

Anderton was recently fired from a job as a financial analyst that had paid for at least his initial stay in the apartment, Lt. George Ondrejka said. Kirsch is a student at Drexel University.

Sweeney fears that police are not finished finding victims. So far, they know of five victims, one of whom was taken for $30,000.

Kirsch's father arrived from Winston-Salem, N.C., to post her $25,000 bond Sunday. Anderton, who hails from Washington state, posted bond Monday, police said.

Everett man, girlfriend accused of ID theft to finance life of fun
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/northwest/story/223192.html
PHILADELPHIA – A young couple whose sleek laptop computer offered police a road map of a high-flying lifestyle allegedly financed through identify theft hopes to win a plea deal on state charges.
But their troubles are mounting.

The FBI is weighing federal charges against college student Jocelyn Kirsch and her boyfriend, University of Pennsylvania graduate Edward Anderton.

“We’re investigating with the intention of charging them federally,” FBI spokeswoman Jerri Williams said late Thursday, hours after Kirsch’s parents bailed her out of jail on a long list of state charges.

Anderton remained in custody Thursday afternoon. His parents, who live in Everett, were expected to post bail and take him there.

Philadelphia police believe the young jetsetters financed their $3,000-a-month condo and luxury trips to Paris, London, Hawaii and the Caribbean with other people’s money. Specifically, police allege they stole the identity of neighbors in their upscale building – and at least twice broke into their victims’ units.

Detectives put the scope of the fraud in the past year alone at more than $100,000. They know of at least five victims so far, one of whom was taken for $30,000.

“I’ve talked to both of them. They know how much trouble they’re in,” said defense lawyer Ronald Greenblatt, who represents Kirsch but spoke for both defendants.

Greenblatt described both sets of parents as hardworking and said they cannot fathom what led their children to get involved in such a massive fraud scheme.

The lawyer hopes to negotiate plea deals, and does not expect Kirsch and Anderton to turn on each other.

“From the information I have, they’re both responsible for this,” Greenblatt said. “For either one to be pointing the finger at the other just belies the evidence in the case.”

Kirsch, 22, had invited friends to join the couple at a wine bar Wednesday night to mark Anderton’s 25th birthday. The pair instead spent the night in jail.

On Thursday morning, she looked drawn and anxious when she appeared by video hookup for a bail hearing. The seemingly brash woman who flaunted sexy clothes, expensive hairdos and colored contact lenses in her world travels was reduced to a sweat shirt and glasses, with jail cinderblocks as a backdrop. She blinked hard and fought back tears as she heard lawyers discuss the crimes.

Anderton’s mother broke down at one point, briefly sobbing as she waited for her son’s hearing.

The pair was arrested at a UPS store by waiting police Friday and charged with identity theft, forgery, unlawful use of a computer and related offenses.

They posted bail, but turned themselves in Wednesday to face additional burglary charges for the alleged break-ins. Police contend they may have installed spyware on some of their victims’ computers.

During a weekend search of the couple’s home, police said they found $17,500 in cash, dozens of credit cards, fake driver’s licenses, keys to many of the apartments and mailboxes in their building, and an industrial machine that makes ID cards.

They also found a dazzling array of travel photos on the laptop: Kirsch modeling a red bikini at an elegant resort and reclining nude in a spa-sized bubble bath; the pair riding horseback on a beach and kissing beneath the Eiffel Tower.

The photo album, released to the press, has attracted a crush of national media and numerous Internet hits.

Bail Commissioner Dwain Hill, told that Anderton’s father works at a newspaper in Washington state, looked out at the throng of reporters and quipped, “He works at a newspaper? How ironic.”

A preliminary hearing scheduled for Thursday morning on the initial charges was postponed until February.

Assistant district attorney Mark Winter believed a reasonably high bail was needed to ensure the pair’s appearance, given that neither has permanent ties to Philadelphia. Hill split the difference between the defense and prosecution requests, raising Kirsch’s bail to $105,000 and Anderton’s to $130,000.

None of the parents commented publicly on the charges.

Kirsch was released from jail Thursday afternoon, diving into the back of a car with a hooded sweat shirt covering her face. She was expected to return to Winston-Salem, N.C., with her father, a plastic surgeon.

Anderton, a youth swimming standout who swam for Penn, was recently fired from a job as a financial analyst. He has no prior arrests, said his lawyer, Larry Krasner.

Kirsch is a student at Drexel University. She was charged last year with three counts of retail theft, one of which ended in a conviction, Greenblatt said. The other charges were dropped.

“It’s terrible that someone with this kind of potential would engage in this kind of activity and throw away unbelievable career opportunities in life,” he said of his client. “I’m just hopeful that she’ll get some kind of chance to redeem herself.”

Police: Pair financed fun with ID theft
http://www.usatoday.com/news/topstories/2007-12-03-2376193681_x.htm
They were young, rich and in love. But the jet-setters financed their fun on the credit cards of unsuspecting neighbors in their high-end apartment building and other identity-fraud victims, police said Monday.
The fraud scheme paid for jaunts to Paris, London and Hawaii and a stop at a tony salon for $1,700 worth of hair extensions, police said.

Drexel University student Jocelyn Kirsch, 22, and beau Edward K. Anderton, a University of Pennsylvania graduate, were charged Friday with identity theft, forgery, unlawful use of a computer and a laundry list of other counts.

"They were two young people that were given many gifts in life," said Detective Terry Sweeney, who spoke of the couple's supportive families and private schooling. "And the very best thing they could do was victimize other people."

A police search of the couple's $3,000-a-month apartment turned up a book titled, "The Art of Cheating: A Nasty Little Book for Tricky Little Schemers and Their Hapless Victims," as well as a 2005 article from Penn's campus newspaper on "How to Spot Fake IDs."

Police started investigating after a resident on their floor notified police on Nov. 19 that she thought her identity had been stolen. A day later, the woman heard from a local UPS store about a waiting package, although she had not ordered anything from the British retailer that sent it.

Police kept an eye on the store and arrested Anderton and Kirsch on Friday when they walked in to pick up the package, detectives said.

A weekend search of the couple's apartment turned up a mother lode of tech toys: four computers, two printers, a scanner and an industrial machine that makes ID cards. Police also found $17,500 in cash, dozens of credit cards and fake drivers' licenses, and keys to unlock many of the apartments and mailboxes in their Rittenhouse Square building. Police are not yet sure how they got the keys.

"They were like a parasite that infected that building," Sweeney said.

Police believe the scheme dates back at least two years and involves victims beyond the apartment house. A slideshow found on one of their computers shows the couple's high-flying travels: kissing in front of the Eiffel Tower, sporting matching red swim wear at a ritzy oceanfront resort; and dining at an elegant restaurant.

Anderton was recently fired from a job as a financial analyst that had paid for at least his initial stay in the apartment, Lt. George Ondrejka said.

Sweeney estimates the scope of the couple's fraud in the past year alone at more than $100,000. He fears that police are not finished finding victims. So far, they know of five victims, one of whom was taken for $30,000.

It was not immediately clear if the couple had hired attorneys. Neither has a listed telephone number in Philadelphia.

Kirsch's father arrived from Winston-Salem, N.C., to post her $25,000 bond Sunday. Anderton, who hails from Washington state, posted bond Monday, police said.

Alleged 'Bonnie and Clyde': From Glamour to Slammer
Couple Post Bail as Their Vacation Photos Make Internet Rounds
http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3968349&page=1
From a year of glamour to a night in the slammer, Jocelyn Kirsch emerged from a Philadelphia jail Thursday, shielding her face.

Kirsch, 22, and her alleged partner in crime, boyfriend and University of Pennsylvania graduate Edward Anderton, 25, surrendered to police Wednesday with their parents by their side.

The two were arrested after police say they stole money from neighbors in an elaborate identity theft operation.

"They're just … devastated and sad and really remorseful about all this," said Kirsch's attorney, Ronald Greenblatt.

What many are calling the modern-day Bonnie and Clyde posted bail Thursday. Kirsch's bail was set at $105,000 and Anderton's at $130,000.

Kirsch is staying with her father, a plastic surgeon, in North Carolina, and Anderton is with his parents in Washington state.

Police say the couple stole their neighbors' identities and may have even broken into their homes to install spyware on their computers. Dozens of keys, credit cards and fake IDs were discovered in the young couple's upscale apartment.

Jail is a far cry from the lavish lifestyle and trips around the world Kirsch and Anderton took with the $100,000 they allegedly stole.

'Whole Other Personality'

Sallie Cook, Kirsch's former best friend at Drexel University, claims Kirsch even stole money from her and says it was strange behavior for the sorority party girl who appeared to have it all.

"They don't have any rules or anything. They do whatever they want," Cook said about Kirsch and Anderton.

Cook said Kirsch "tried to be" charming.

"They are the 'power couple,'" Cook said. "They're both gorgeous and both very powerful. They come from money. They can talk their way out of any situation."

Former acquaintance Ian Jacobson called Kirsch manipulative.

"She dug her claws into people and twisted them into doing things the things she wanted to see," Jacobson said.

Hairdresser Jennifer Bisicchia, who claims Kirsch wrote her a bad check for $2,200 worth of hair extensions, says she received a threatening text message after confronting Kirsch.

The message said, "You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into. You seem like a smart girl walk away now, or you will regret it."
"There's this whole other side to her, this whole other personality, whole other life," Bisicchia said.

Police released photos of the couple enjoying their world travels, and the case has generated huge interest on the Internet. Some Philadelphia residents even started a Facebook page titled "She's going to jail and that's hilarious."

Young, lavish couple seeks plea deal
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-12-06-couple-fraud_N.htm
A young couple accused of stealing their neighbors' identities to pay for their lavish lifestyle are hoping to negotiate a plea deal and turn their lives around, a defense attorney said Thursday.
College student Jocelyn Kirsch, 22, and boyfriend Edward Anderton, who turned 25 Wednesday, used the scam to steal an estimated $100,000 this year alone and pay for trips to Paris, London and Hawaii and other luxury perks, police said.

Ronald Greenblatt, Kirsch's attorney, said the two will likely enter plea negotiations together.

"From the information I have, they're both responsible for this," he said. "For either one to be pointing the finger at the other just belies the evidence in the case."

Kirsch and Anderton were arrested Friday and charged with state counts of identity theft, forgery, unlawful use of a computer and related offenses. They posted bail, but turned themselves in Wednesday to face more charges, including theft and burglary.

Additional charges may be coming. "We're investigating with the intention of charging them federally," FBI spokeswoman Jerri Williams said Thursday.

Police allege the pair stole the identity of neighbors in their upscale building — and at least twice broke into their victims' units. They say detectives know of at least five victims so far, one of whom was taken for $30,000.

During a weekend search of the couple's $3,000-a-month apartment, police said they found $17,500 in cash, dozens of credit cards, fake driver's licenses, keys to unlock many of the apartments and mailboxes in their building, and an industrial machine that makes ID cards.

Police also found a laptop with dazzling array of travel photos: Kirsch modeling a red bikini at an elegant resort and reclining nude in a spa-sized bubble bath; the pair riding horseback on a beach and kissing beneath the Eiffel Tower. The photo album, released to the press, has attracted a crush of national media and untold Internet hits.

Bail for Anderton and Kirsch was raised Thursday after prosecutors said the two were being kicked out of their apartment and had no current fixed address. Kirsch's bail was set at $105,000 and Anderton's at $130,000.

Kirsch was released Thursday afternoon after her family posted bail; she dove into the back of a car with a hooded sweat shirt covering her face. She was expected to return to Winston-Salem, N.C., with her father, a plastic surgeon.

Anderton remained in custody Thursday.

Kirsch, in a sweat shirt and glasses, looked drawn and anxious when she appeared by video hookup for a bail hearing. She blinked hard and fought back tears as she heard lawyers discuss the crimes.

Anderton's mother broke down at one point, briefly sobbing as she waited for her son's hearing.

Anderton, originally from Everett, Wash., is a University of Pennsylvania graduate who had been on the school's swim team; he was recently fired from a job as a financial analyst. Kirsch is a student at Drexel University.

Greenblatt said Kirsch did well at Drexel and had had a bright career ahead of her.

"It's terrible that someone with this kind of potential would engage in this kind of activity and throw away unbelievable career opportunities in life," he said. "I'm just hopeful that she'll get some kind of chance to redeem herself."