Woman charged with 37 counts of identity theft in Knox County. Here's how it happened
GALESBURG — A woman has been charged with 37 counts of identity theft or aggravated identity theft in Knox County.
On June 23, 2022, Knox County State’s Attorney Jeremy S. Karlin filed new criminal information against Christine Greene containing 37 counts of identity theft or aggravated identity theft. According to a news release, it is alleged she possessed personal identity information for 37 people in Knox County and other places with which she intended to commit other felony offenses.
Aggravated identity theft charges were filed in cases in which the victim was over 60 years of age. These new charges are a result an arrest of Greene on April 20, 2022, by members of the Galesburg Police Department at which she was found with checks and identification for another person. A search warrant executed at Greene's residence garnered the evidence alleged in the information.
The type of information the defendant is alleged to have possessed includes dates of birth, driver’s license information, social security numbers, banking account and routing numbers, email login and passwords, and login information for phone applications like Venmo or Cashapp.
In a statement, Karlin said: “Identity theft is not a new problem. However, I am alarmed by increasing frequency of these offenses committed by local individuals on local victims. It is possible to recover from a single theft or burglary. On the other hand, theft of personal data for financial gain can cause significant lasting damage to your financial health and sense of personal security. We continue to prosecute, convict and punish people who would prey on members of our community, including those more mature or vulnerable members of our community."
Identity theft is a Class 3 felony punishable from two to five years in prison. Aggravated identity theft is a Class 2 felony punishable from three to seven years in prison
This article originally appeared on Galesburg Register-Mail: Woman charged with 37 counts of identity theft in Knox County, IL
