A 19-year-old White Bear Township, Minn., woman realized something was amiss when she was denied a credit card and the state and IRS started sending her letters.
Investigators determined that the woman’s birth mother, who lost parental rights in 1999, had been using the woman’s name and Social Security number to set up utility accounts, claim unemployment and to file taxes, according to a criminal complaint.
Jacquelyn Marie Savage, 35, is charged with one count of felony identity theft.
According to the criminal complaint:
The state sent a letter to the 19-year-old woman in December 2013 regarding unemployment benefits claimed in her name, though she had not made any claims.
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In May 2014, the teen applied for and was denied a credit card because of delinquencies on her credit report for a Capital One credit card and a Comcast account. The teen had never had a Capital One card and had never been a Comcast subscriber.
Investigators found the Comcast account associated with the woman’s Social Security number and birth name -- her name had been changed after adoption -- was set up at a home in North Minneapolis where Savage lived at the time the account was established.
A check of Capital One’s records showed the same North Minneapolis address and Savage’s email address were associated with the credit account.
In August and September of 2014, the IRS informed the teen that two income tax returns had been filed using her Social Security number. One included Savage’s phone number and listed one of Savage’s children -- for whom she also lost parental rights -- as a dependent.
A search warrant was executed at Savage’s North Minneapolis home in October, and investigators said they found documents and mail in the teen’s name.
In a police interview, Savage admitted she used the teen’s information.
Court records show she now lives in South St. Paul.
Savage did not return calls seeking comment. It was unclear Friday whether she has an attorney.
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Savage’s criminal history includes convictions for falsely reporting a crime, false information to police, theft by swindle, issuance of worthless checks and traffic violations.
She is to appear March 31 in Ramsey County District Court.
The case has been assigned to an Anoka County judge because the victim is the adopted daughter of a Ramsey County judge.
