 |
| Jocelyn Kirsch |
After admitting to financing a jet-setting lifestyle by stealing the identities of friends and neighbors, 22-year old student Jocelyn Kirsch faces six years behind bars after pleading guilty Monday to aggravated identity theft and other federal crimes.
Dubbed the modern day ‘Bonnie and Clyde,’ Kirsch and her 25-year-old boyfriend Edward Anderton—who pled guilty to the same charges last month—admitted to earning more than $110,000 and attempting to make off with twice that amount by stealing the identities of friends and neighbors in the Philadelphia area in 2006 and 2007.
Kirsch’s voice barely rose above a whisper while appearing in court, looking disheveled in a rumpled green prison suit, according to the Associated Press. She told the court she has been seeking medication and counseling for mental health issues.
The couple posted glamorous photos of their travels around the world on the internet and when police raided the couple’s Philadelphia apartment, an ID-card making machine, computer spyware and lock-picking tools were all found.
According to a Rolling Stone article, Kirsch even funded a boob job with the money they stole.
"She and Edward Anderton stole the identities from numerous people from all walks of their lives, from co-workers to neighbours, anyone that they encountered," Assistant US Attorney Louis Lappen said after the hearing.
The couple funded their lifestyle in all sorts of ways, according to the Chicago Tribune, from stolen credit cards and bank account information to selling items stolen from their neighbor’s apartments on eBay.
The couple was arrested when they attempted to claim a package of expensive underwear at a local UPS store using a neighbor’s ID.
