Chicago identity thief racks up $52,500 from credit cards stolen at UW
Police ask for help to ID people of interest
A Chicago woman who went through buildings at UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee stealing credit and debit cards has been sentenced to five years in prison and 10 years probation for identity theft.
Charlene M. Aitkin, 33, was convicted on 20 counts of identity theft for her role in the theft of multiple credit and debit cards at the Madison campus between January 2006 and September 2007. Aitkin and at least three other people would steal purses and wallets from campus buildings, charge the cards for sometimes thousands of dollars and return to Chicago.
According to a release from the University of Madison Police Department, the loss to the victims, retail outlets and financial institutions exceeded $52,000. Aitkin was also charged in Milwaukee County on four additional counts of identity theft for similar crimes committed at the Milwaukee campus. It's estimated that Milwaukee-area loss exceeded $12,000.
Aitkin was arrested in Chicago in September with the help of Chicago police and subsequently extradited to Wisconsin.
Although Aitkin has been sentenced, UWPD are still asking for help in the identification of three people of interest to the investigation. Anyone with information on these two people are asked to contact UWPD Detective Peter Grimyser at 608-262-7752.
University of Wisconsin Police Department
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Charlene M. Aitkin, of Chicago, was sentenced to five years in prison for stealing credit cards in UW buildings and charging them for thousands of dollars.
