Suspect now accused in ID theft of daughter

A woman accused of stealing $50,000 from an Oahu church faces more charges

A former church office manager awaiting trial for stealing more than $50,000 from the Windward Unity Church now stands accused of stealing her own daughter's identity.

An Oahu grand jury indicted Kimberly Wheeler yesterday on two counts of second-degree identity theft for using her then-teenage daughter's personal information to open 12 credit card accounts that she maxed out and then failed to make payments on, said Deputy Prosecutor Chris Van Marter.

The daughter, who is now a college student on the mainland, learned of the deception when she received a notice recently from a collection agency demanding payment on a Sears credit card account.

The daughter did not own a credit card from Sears and obtained a copy of her credit report.

The report showed that 12 accounts had been opened in her name when she was between the ages of 12 and 14. All of the accounts -- with a total outstanding balance of $12,000 -- were delinquent and ruined her credit, Van Marter said.

Wheeler is awaiting trial in Circuit Court on charges of stealing from the Kailua church's checking account and using one of the church's credit accounts to purchase personal items. She also is accused of using the identity of the minister to open up lines of credit upon which she charged personal expenses.

Those thefts occurred between February 2005 and February 2006 while Wheeler was an assistant, then office manager. She was fired in February 2006.

Wheeler was recently located in Pennsylvania and extradited here to face the charges. She pleaded not guilty in Circuit Court last Thursday and is set for trial on Feb. 11. She is expected back in Circuit Court to enter a plea on the latest charges.

Circuit Judge Derrick Chan confirmed bail in the amount of $50,000. Wheeler is currently being held on $250,000 bail in the church theft.