Identity-Scam Couple Hopes For A Plea Deal

Pair Who Lived High On Their Neighbors' Tab Says They Want To Turn Their Lives Around

(AP)  A couple accused of stealing their neighbors' identities to pay for their lavish lifestyle are hoping to negotiate a plea deal and turn their lives around, a defense attorney said Thursday.

College student Jocelyn Kirsch, 22, and boyfriend Edward Anderton, who turned 25 Wednesday, used the scam to steal an estimated $100,000 this year alone and pay for trips to Paris, London and Hawaii and other luxury perks, police said.

Ronald Greenblatt, Kirsch's attorney, said the two will likely enter plea negotiations together.

"From the information I have, they're both responsible for this," he said. "For either one to be pointing the finger at the other just belies the evidence in the case."

Anderton, originally from Everett, Wash., is a University of Pennsylvania graduate who was recently fired from a job as a financial analyst. Kirsch is a student at Drexel University.

Kirsch and Anderton were arrested Friday and charged with identity theft, forgery, unlawful use of a computer and related offenses. They posted bail, but turned themselves in Wednesday to face more charges, including theft and burglary.

The two were still in custody Thursday morning after being arraigned on the newest charges.

During a weekend search of the couple's $3,000-a-month apartment, police said they found $17,500 in cash, dozens of credit cards, fake driver's licenses, keys to unlock many of the apartments and mailboxes in their building, and an industrial machine that makes ID cards.

A preliminary hearing scheduled for Thursday morning was postponed.

Bail for Anderton and Kirsch was raised Thursday after prosecutors said the two were being kicked out of their apartment and had no current fixed address. Kirsch's bail was set at $105,000 and Anderton's at $130,000.

Greenblatt said Kirsch did well at Drexel and had a bright career ahead of her.

"It's terrible that someone with this kind of potential would engage in this kind of activity and throw away unbelievable career opportunities in life," he said. "I'm just hopeful that she'll get some kind of chance to redeem herself."

[runningralph]

A poor chump that robs a gas station of $200 with a pistol gets 20 years. The sentencing judge should take into the number of victims and the total amount stolen. Actually I can''t think of a reason why the taxpayers should keep them alive.

[tbweb]

Nice looking couple, they had their fun at their neighbors expense and now must pay their debt to society, hopefully with a penalty to repay all those they robbed. Total disrespect for the rights and property of others and the threatening Text Message to the Cell Phone of one of their victims should definitely carry some jail time and no plea deal should avoid jail.

[frankbowers]

Ask them to contct gw bush and dic cheney they need a few more to help up there the rest are bailing out faster than they can find good con artist like them. the best of good byes frank bowers of austin, tx

[bm6005]

"Personal responsibility"? These two need a lengthy prison term.

[magoo2u1]

The plea deal should go :
First you plead guilty.
Second you go to prison.
The schmuks had the keys to their neighbors appartments. That is not a cyber crime. That is over the edge to me.

[b-easy63]

hey were just to lazy to work for what they wanted in life. They preferred to steal it. They should be treated no differently than other criminals.

Posted by detta269 at 09:28 AM : Dec 07, 2007

They weren''t lazy. It takes a lot of work to commit most crimes--they were evil. NO doubt they thought of themselves as superior to everyone else--soft, unsuspecting public--to be used, exploited and destroyed if they can.

When people have a predator mentality when it comes to other humans and has no regard or respect for societal rules--the last thing they need is another chance--like I said --time and chances only gives them another chance to perfect their craft or improve it--maybe Bush and Cheney have room for them in their org. Certainly, they must show potential--they already have the requisite contempt for their fellowmen and little conscience. Maybe they both can get jobs in the White House.

[b-easy63]

Yeah. First a plea deal, then a movie made for TV or a reality show or maybe a motivational speaker who teaches the "rest of us" how to watch out for people like them...

Face it, America''s fascination with Criminals and aggrandizing them over their victims, is why we will continue to have serial killers, Mall shooters, School mass murders and "educated people" who see their path to glamour or their 15 minutes of fame is paved with the lives and bodies of all of their victims. No chances, I agree with the other poster--we are on the verge of taking the law into our own hands--because it is not doing well or is very effective in the hands of a few who value the elite over the acts and the negative results of those acts.

[detta269]

As a victim of ID theft I have no sympathy for this couple. Tney should be made to reimburse everyone they''ve stolen from AND go through the mounds and mounds of paperwork it takes to resolve the ID theft to their victims. They should also be required to deal with the nasty collection agents that no matter how many times you tell them this is not you debt STILL continue to call and harrass you.

I''ve been trying to get my credit file corrected for almost two years. I''ve spents hundreds of hours and even more money just trying to retify a crime that was perptrated on me. I''ve filled out fraud packets, affidavits, closed credit card accounts, spend hours on the telephone with customer service representatives from fradulent accounts...I can go on and on. I''ll just say the ID criminals should be made to serve real time for their crimes. AND this couple has no excuse. They have a good education, he had a good career. They were just to lazy to work for what they wanted in life. They preferred to steal it. They should be treated no differently than other criminals.

I''ll now step off my soap box. LOL!

[b-easy63]

My ID was stolen three times: Once by 2 teens who turned it into a large cc scam that I fought for over 15 years. Almost simultaneously, a relative with access to my home, stole cc slips (the old fashioned kind) and gave them away to strangers for a comic book. Thankfully, I could prove that I never lived in the states or the countries that the new cards went to--and could prove I was out of the country for some of those charges...still, Sears maintains periodically that I am a deadbeat--and my basic info is still out there. (SS#, passport data) My passport was stolen in Rome, years ago also.


They can turn their lives around--TOWARDS A PRISON. THEY MAY WANT ANOTHER CHANCE, BUT WE DO NOT HAVE TO GIVE IT TO THEM. Outside, they are a gamble and more lives can be harmed--in prison, they are a sure thing and keeping them out of society is an even better thing. Stealing like that is an addiction--it does not stop--they are probably used to second, third and 15th chances and are smirking --fvck them. Let them rot in jail like every other low life--if we don''t give store robbers and others a "2nd chance" we should make NO ALLOWANCES for any other societal predator.--no matter what their background or education.

[b-easy63]

Posted by Nancy_Naive at 06:12 AM : Dec 07, 2007

ID theft is not new. I was a victim of it big time in the late 1980s. The "equipment" to forge cards or steal them is not hard to find, one can get it on the internet. Nigerians and other countries proliferate in counterfeiting and ID theft rings. With the advent of so much illegal immigration, getting access to forgers or those to make illegal keys is pretty easy and they do not have much to deal with.

The fact is, anyone can hack a computer if they have the skills and they need no outside info or help. According to the story, these 2 did it the old fashioned way--just went into people''s homes and got old cc statements or cards. Once they had that, they do not have to use those cards, what they do is have new ones made out to them at new addresses, then they just have to forge fake driver licenses. Since they had access to homes, they can use legitimate SS numbers and data. I say they have nothing and almost no incentive to "turn their lives around" most criminals do not want to change--they just want to get better at their craft. see next post

[ianlou]

They want to "turn their life around"!!
Yeah, Right, they have a heart felt desire to give up their exotic world travels and get a job, pay their bills and join the rat race.

There''s nothing like counting your own hard earned pennies after a long honest day in the salt mines.
It sure beats a dishonest pina calotta under a palm tree.

If they do get a plea deal that keeps them out of Jail, perhaps they can star in a reality TV show. Now that they are famous, America will want to follow them with their next adventures.

Just watch...

[omega39-2009]

Bail for Anderton and Kirsch was raised Thursday after prosecutors said the two were being kicked out of their apartment and had no current fixed address. Kirsch''s bail was set at $105,000 and Anderton''s at $130,000.

Let''s hope the system isn''t dumb enough to accept checks or charge cards from these two.

[mitywhity]

I agree...30 years with no parole. They are predators and dammit I am sick of law enforcement not protecting us from predators! I am not a vigilante, but if the judicial system can''t fix their own flaws and get back to prudence from the bench...well, what can I say - people are going to start handling it themselves.

[b-easy63]

A plea bargain implies that they have something to offer the prosecution. Usually, that means one will rat out the other for a lesser sentence. But since both were caught dead to rights and their stupid attorney is admitting as much in the media--there should be no plea deals at all. Hard time and the opportunity to really reflect on if all the easy trips, the lying and the predation was worth it.

[b-easy63]

The judge was only going to give them 25K for bail---until it hit the news and the blogs--now they have to post real money to get out. LOL. thank God for watch dogs....

[b-easy63]

Give them each about 30 years in Prison--there--they can plead to their hearts content. The two are malicious and any act of leniency by a judge, court, jury or former victim would be viewed as a weakness by them. Let them see how weak society and those they preyed on aren''t. Let them pray for years like they made "prey" of others for years--in a prison of their own doing.

[tibu987]

Throw the book at them. No deals.
This couple knew exactly what they were doing.
You do the crime, you do the time.
Simple as that.

[libsluvsuvs]

our judicial system will show every potentials that ''crime does pay''...

[krenz4]

Y''all say that now, but just wait until you see her tearful apology, MuM an Da''s rich lawyer at her side, then you''ll be ready to let the little thief walk with some community service. What about the people who''s credit they ruined?

[krenz4]

What did i tell you!!! Here we go.