2 people charged with fraud, identity theft in Eau Claire County

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - Two people are charged with financial fraud and identity theft in Eau Claire County after a string of unauthorized purchases using cards illegally obtained in transactions worth over $10,000, according to the Augusta Police Department.

According to a release by the Police Department, 48-year-old Carrolee Moore of Augusta and 64-year-old Robert Potts of Augusta were involved in the scheme, which involved more than seven credit cards used in multiple retail outlets in western Wisconsin.

The Police Department said they were contacted in March of 2022 by an Augusta resident who said they were the victim of identity theft. The victim and their spouse said that someone had applied for and used multiple credit cards using their identities. Investigators were able to find the items purchased with the fraudulent credit cards and took Moore and Potts into custody.

Moore received nine felony charges, including two counts each of forgery, identity theft for financial gain, fraudulent use of a credit card, theft of a credit card, and one count of fraud against a financial institution, on July 29, according to online court records. She was released on a $10,000 signature bond on July 29. Moore was on extended supervision for several convictions, including retail theft, identity theft and bail jumping, for prior cases, and was ordered back to prison on August 23, according to online court records. Moore is also currently facing retail theft charges in Eau Claire County in an unrelated case.

In 2017, Moore was sentenced to prison on several charges, including identity theft, retail theft and bail jumping. She was released from prison on March 16 of 2021 and was set to be on extended supervision through March 18, 2025, according to the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.

Potts is charged with two counts of fraudulent use of a credit card as a party to a crime, receiving stolen property and delivery of narcotic drugs. Potts was released from jail on a $5,000 signature bond with conditions that he cannot contact Moore. In 2017, Potts was fined $181.50 as a party to retail theft as a co-defendant with Moore, according to online court records.

Assisting the Augusta Police Department were loss prevention teams at Fleet Farm, Wal-Mart and Woodland Store, as well as the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Eau Claire County DA’s Office, and several financial and retail institutions.