A Schaumburg resident and former loan processor allegedly used access to information about clients to operate a financial crimes enterprise, Wheaton police said.
Karolina Klambatseas, 34, who formerly lived in Wheaton, was indicted Jan. 12 on 59 felony charges. She also has been charged with 31 misdemeanors, police said. The alleged crimes include theft, identity theft and financial institution fraud, police said.
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Klambatseas worked as a loan processor for several mortgage companies. She used client information to open up multiple credit card accounts and then maxed out the accounts by making purchases, according to police. She also took out loans in the clients’ names, police said.
Wheaton police Sgt. P.J. Youker said the Police Department was first notified of the issue in 2015 by Wheeling police after a resident in that town reported being the victim of identity theft. The Wheeling police were able to track purchases made on a fraudulent account opened in the Wheeling resident’s name back to Wheaton.
After an extensive investigation that identified Klambatseas as the alleged suspect, police found Klambatseas in possession of dozens of stolen identities, Youker said.
Multiple accounts were created in the victims’ names, and police were able to link many purchases to Klambatseas, Youker said. The allegations against Klambatseas span 48 pages of a detailed police report.
“This was a long and ongoing investigation, and it was very extensive,” Youker said.
Assistant DuPage County State’s Attorney Diane Michalak said the investigation is continuing and authorities don’t have a total dollar amount yet for what was allegedly taken. Klambatseas apparently made numerous jewelry purchases with the money she is alleged to have stolen and also funded everyday living expenses, the prosecutor said.
According to court records, Klambatseas posted $15,000 on a $150,000 bail and was freed on bond.
Alex Keown is a freelance reporter. Freelancer Clifford Ward contributed.