StarBulletin.com

ID theft suspect charged again


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POSTED: Wednesday, February 17, 2010

A former beauty queen, already facing a possible life prison term for allegedly stealing the identities and credit of 11 people, stands accused of stealing the identities of 12 more Oahu residents.

An Oahu grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging Susan E. Shaw with 18 identity theft and related charges.

The charges stem from documents California police seized from a Manhattan Beach condominium Shaw rented, said Chris Van Marter, deputy city prosecutor.

Manhattan Beach police said they recovered hotel and airline gift cards and personal information of 40 to 50 Oahu residents.

Van Marter said yesterday's charges involve the credit reports of the 12 people. Some of those people had credit cards ordered in their names. Some of the cards were already delivered and used, Van Marter said.

Shaw has been in custody without the opportunity for bail since last June, after another Oahu grand jury charged her with 122 identity theft and related charges, including the theft of more than $160,000 from seven credit card companies.

Yesterday's charges involve four credit card companies, according to the indictment.

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Police say they believe Shaw contacted the U.S. Postal Service to put a hold on the mail of her victims, then had credit cards in their names sent to another address. In case the credit card companies sent the account statements to the victims' true addresses, the mail hold gave Shaw time to run up charges on the cards before the victims canceled the credit card.

One of the ways Shaw ran up charges was by purchasing gift cards, Van Marter said. Shaw also had fake identification in the names of her victims, he said.

Van Marter said Shaw maintained homes in Kailua and California and traveled every 10 to 14 days.

Shaw is the 1992 Miss Hawaii International.