Woman accused of using fake passport to pose as victim’s wife and steal account funds
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POCATELLO — A woman has been accused of using a fake passport to pose as the victim’s wife and steal funds from the victim’s home equity loan account.
Kimberly Irene Schwartfigure, 50, has been charged in Bannock County with one count of burglary and one count of grand theft, both felonies.
According to court documents, the victim said that on March 18, an unknown woman impersonated his wife at a Pocatello credit union and used a fraudulent passport to make two cash withdrawals from the victim’s home equity loan account for a total of $14,000.
Pocatello Police officers contacted the victim on April 1, who told officers he noticed the theft when he checked his home equity loan and noticed it was higher than it should have been.
According to the victim, bank personnel had believed the unknown woman, later allegedly identified as Schwartfigure, was the victim’s wife. The fake passport used allegedly had the correct name and date of birth for the victim’s wife, but had Schwartfigure’s photo. According to the victim, his wife did not even have a passport.
In addition, Schwartfigure was allegedly able to provide the victim’s wife’s Social Security number to complete the transaction.
After obtaining surveillance footage from the bank that allegedly showed Schwartfigure completing the transactions and the clips were sent to a crime analyst, according to court documents. After reviewing the footage, the crime analysist informed the Pocatello Police Department Schwartfigure had allegedly been tied to similar incidents in the area and appeared to be moving west.
On April 9, the Pocatello Police Department was advised that she had been arrested and was incarcerated at the Twin Falls County Jail.
According to court documents from the Kimberly Police Department in Twin Falls County, on March 19, officers were dispatched to a local bank for a report of a possible fraud.
Officers arrived on scene and made contact with Schwartfigure. A witness at the bank said Schwartfigure allegedly tried to make a withdrawal at the bank on a home equity line but struggled to answer basic security questions. Suspicious, bank staff identified Scwartfigure from photos sent to them from the Idaho Falls Police Department.
After placing Schwartfigure under arrest and transporting her to the county jail for booking, law enforcement found that Schwartfigure had an extraditable warrant from Bremer County, Iowa.
For the case in Twin Falls County, Schwartfigure was originally charged with one count of burglary, one count of possession of a controlled substance, one count of possession of drug paraphernalia and one count of false information to law enforcement.
On Oct. 14, Schwartfigure was convicted in Twin Falls County on one count of burglary and one count of possession of a controlled substance, and was sentenced to eight years fixed with six years indeterminate; however, the court opted to suspend the sentence, and Schwartfigure was placed on probation for a period of five years.
Schwartfigure appeared for arraignment in Bannock County via video. She expected to appear in court next on Oct. 27 for a preliminary hearing.
If found guilty of the charges against her in Bannock County, Schwartfigure may spend up to 24 years in confinement and may be required to pay fines of up to $55,000.
Schwartfigure has been appointed a public defender. The Idaho State Public Defender’s Office does not comment on active cases.
Although Schwartfigure has been charged with these crimes, that does not necessarily mean she is guilty. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.