‘Bonnie’ gets 5 months for post-prison theft
One half of Philadelphia’s infamous “Bonnie & Clyde” duo is heading back to prison for five months for shoplifting.
Jocelyn Kirsch, 28, was in Federal Court on Tuesday afternoon on a parole violation from her high-profile 2008 case in which she was convicted in a $100,000 identity theft scheme.
On Tuesday, Kirsch admitted to violating her parole by stealing a pocketbook and other items in Walnut Creek, California, where she now lives.
She was serving under house arrest on local theft charges and was sentenced to five months in jail.
Kirsch, a former Drexel student, joined forces with her ex-boyfriend Edward Anderton to carry out an elaborate identify theft scheme. Police say Kirsch and Anderton, a University of Pennsylvania grad, defrauded neighbors of more than $100,000 from September 2006 to November 2007, according to Philly.com.
The couple used the money they took to live large in a Rittenhouse area condo. They also bought designer clothing, sported fancy haircuts and took lavish trips over the span of about a year. They took digital photos, leaving a trail of evidence for investigators and a photo history of their journey for the public to consume.
Kirsch and Anderton’s exploits made headlines around the world and they were dubbed the “Bonnie and Clyde of ID Theft.”
Police say Kirsch and Anderton used computer spyware, fake IDs and other technologies to carry out their elaborate crime spree.
The duo stole identity information, credit cards and credit card account info from numerous victims, including friends, co-workers, neighbors, fellow students, bar patrons and others.
Kirsch pleaded guilty to identity fraud and was sentenced to five years in prison back in 2008. She was released from federal custody back in 2011 but found herself on the wrong side of the law yet again after the recent shoplifting incident.
Anderton was sentenced to four years and hasn’t been heard from much since his arrest.
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