PORTLAND, Ore.-Authorities hope a 10-year prison sentence will finally deter a woman who continued to rob area credit unions and banks as part of an identity theft ring while she was continuing to ply her trade.
Carol Crane, 47, was part of a ring that tapped into local banks and credit unions, including Portland Teachers CU, now known as OnPoint Community CU, for as much as $1 million between 2004 through 2007.
The ring would steal purses, wallets, personal identification, checks, credit cards and other items from public and private premises in and around the Portland area and use stolen checks and create forgeries made payable to the victims. They also used stolen credit and debit cards to withdraw cash from various credit unions and banks or to make purchases.
After her guilty plea in 2006, Crane continued to work the identity scheme at various institutions between Portland and Seattle, hitting US Bank and other local institutions for more than $150,000, according to authorities.
