Illinois woman enters guilty plea in dumpster-diving identity theft case

(ABC 6 News) – An Altamont, IL woman entered a petition to plead guilty to a charge of identity theft earlier this week.

Cassie Mae Cullen, 52, was accused of dumpster diving for papers with personal and financial details, which she used to apply for credit and debit cards.

According to Cullen’s plea agreement, she has asked for 5 years’ probation and no additional jail time, with a decision on restitution payments reserved for the judge.

Her plea hearing is scheduled for Jan. 6, 2025.

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(ABC 6 News) – An Illinois woman was charged with identity theft and receiving stolen property almost three years after Rochester police found identifying documents for more than 200 people and businesses in her hotel room.

According to court records, Rochester police assigned an investigator to look into Cassie Mae Cullen, now 50, in March of 2020 after Cullen was allegedly arrested with multiple fraudulent checks and credit cards on her.

According to court documents, Cullen told police in 2020 that she was dumpster diving to find papers with people’s financial and personal information on them, which she used to apply for credit and debit cards.

According to court documents, police seized two bags with papers containing personal and financial information in Cullen’s Rochester hotel room.

Between the items in the bags, Cullen’s car, and the things found on her person, police alleged that Cullen had accrued personal information from about 200 people and businesses.

Cullen’s court documents do not explain the three-year wait between the original Rochester police investigation and her charges, filed in early March of 2023.

Cullen’s criminal complaint lists the following items found in Cullen’s possession:

• A Wells Fargo debit in the name of Victim 1 (H.P.H an adult fully identified in the police reports)
• An EBT card in the name of Victim 2 (M.A.K an adult fully identified in the police reports)
• Another EBT card in the name of Victim 2
• A debit card in the name of Victim 3 (S.B.Z an adult fully identified in the police reports)
• A debit card in the name of Victim 4 (J.A.S an adult fully identified in the police reports)
• A Costco Executive membership card in the name of Victim 5 (R.J) bearing defendant’s picture
• A debit card in the name of Victim 6 (E.K. an adult fully identified in the police reports)
• An airline’s reward card in the name of Victim 7 (R.M.L an adult fully identified in the police reports)
• A Mastercard in the name of Victim 6
• A MN Identification card in the name of Victim 8 (C.J.S an adult fully identified in the police reports)
• A MN Identification card in the name of Victim 9 (L.A.L.S an adult fully identified in the police reports)
• A debit card associated with a health savings account in the name of Victim 10 (M.B.D. an adult fully
  identified in the police reports)
• A credit card in the name of Victim 11 (Q.P.H an adult fully identified in the police reports)
• A MN DVS Temporary License in the name of Victim 6 bearing defendant’s photograph
• A MN DVS Temporary ID in the name of Victim 12 (T.H)
• A Social Security number for Victim 13 (B.E an adult fully identified in the police reports)
• Social Security numbers for Victims 14 and 15 (C.W.W and N.A.W adults fully identified in the police
  reports) on a tax document
• A check in the amount of $316 issued by a business in MN in which the name of the recipient has been
  washed off/erased, a common practice by individuals intending to write their own name as the recipient of the check
• A check from a Minnesota business to an insurance company in the amount of $10,117.70
• A check from an Annandale company to a Becker company in the amount of $9,968.25
  In total defendant has 76 checks written to other individuals and entities that totaled approximately
  $56,000.

Cullen’s next court appearance is scheduled for May 23.