Three arrested in Honesdale after a probe into an international identity theft operation
It took about three days for three Honesdale residents to rack up more than $14,000 in charges on a credit card they applied for using a stolen identity, Wayne County District Attorney Janine Edwards said in a news release.
Christa Strackbein, 53, Jerry Strackbein, 51, and Debra Meszler, 50, all of 227 Terrace St., were charged Friday with numerous felony counts of identity theft and access device fraud after an investigation revealed they had been using stolen identities to obtain credit cards and make purchases in Northeast Pennsylvania.
On Aug. 26, identity thieves applied for 13 Capital One credit cards using different names, addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth and Social Security numbers, Ms. Edwards said.
One of those was Georgia resident Daniel Cook, who reported the theft to the Columbia County sheriff's office.
The investigation in Georgia discovered that an AOL IP address used in the Capital One applications was assigned to "Shola Anibaabaa" at 227 Terrace St. in Honesdale.
Then on Sept. 13, someone applied for a Chase credit card using Mr. Cook's personal information, according to the district attorney's office. It also listed Ms. Strackbein as an authorized user.
Between Sept. 17 and 20, 41 purchases for more than $14,000 worth of charges were made with that credit card. Two charges were made with the card on Sept. 19, at the Texas Twp. Home Depot. Surveillance footage from the store, when cross-referenced against Pennsylvania driver's licenses, determined that the two shoppers were likely Mr. and Ms. Strackbein. The signatures on the credit card receipts from the 41 purchases were consistent with signatures on the licenses of Mr. and Ms. Strackbein and Ms. Meszler.
A search warrant was served at 227 Terrace Ave. residence Feb. 20. Soon after, arrest warrants for the three were issued.
The three turned themselves in Friday and are held on $50,000 bail. It's unclear where they were being held. Prison officials declined to comment and efforts to reach the district attorney's office were unsuccessful.
The investigation in Wayne County revealed an international operation that lasted for about 1½ years, the district attorney's office said.
Ms. Meszler would get credit cards sent to her from a man named John Tope who reportedly lives in Malaysia. Mr. Tope would give her a list of items to buy along with pre-paid shipping labels so she could ship the items to Malaysia or elsewhere. The three would then use the cards to make purchases and pay their bills.
A preliminary hearing for all three is scheduled for Wednesday.
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