April 13, 2007

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  NEWS: Wife of SC Senator Hit by ID Thief

  The wife of South Carolina state senator Ray Cleary is still reeling after being caught up in an identity theft scheme. Lisa Cleary has been hit with some $58,000 in losses, only some of which have been excused by creditors, she says – and that number is not believed to be conclusive. A former employee of Cleary's, Meghan Renee Morris, was arrested in conjunction with the case and faces four counts of financial identity fraud, one count of credit card fraud exceeding $500, one count of computer crime exceeding $25,000 and one count of bank fraud. According to authorities, Cleary discovered that something was amiss when she was reviewing the checking accounts associated with a business she runs in January, and discovered a copy of a check with "her signature" on it. Needless to say, Cleary hadn't written the check – Morris had been entrusted with that particular account. Further investigation revealed that Morris had not only pilfered checks from other checking and savings accounts belonging to Cleary, but also used her personal information to open credit cards for her own use – some with balances as high as $14,000, say police.
  
  Cleary's story doesn't end here, however. Senator Cleary is hoping to use what he and his wife learned the hard way in refining proposed state legislation on identity theft. Senator Cleary made the point that someone who steals $10 from someone's purse currently stands to receive more jail time and/or fines than someone who misappropriates thousands by way of identity theft. Cleary's modifications to the bill call for instant access by police when a fraud compliant is filed, and stricter sentencing for offenders. The bill in its original form passed the state Senate in February with little opposition.
  
  
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