News

October 2, 2009

Ex-wife in credit card case heads to court

A local serviceman found an account opened in his name when he arrived home, authorities say.

By Edward Lewis elewis@timesleader.com
Staff Writer
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KINGSTON – A U.S. serviceman’s ex-wife who is accused of opening a credit card account in his name while he was deployed in Afghanistan recently waived her right to a preliminary hearing.

Karen Mary McCann McGill, 31, of Blackman Street, Wilkes-Barre, appeared before District Judge Paul J. Roberts in Kingston on Sept. 23 and waived two counts of access device fraud and a single count of identity theft to Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas.

Kingston police Detective Thomas Paratore alleged McCann McGill signed the name of Donald McGill to a Capital One credit card application in May 2008, and used the credit card to make unauthorized purchases.

McCann McGill remains free on $10,000 unsecured bail.

McGill legally separated from McCann McGill in March 2007.

According to the criminal complaint:

McGill was deployed with the Pennsylvania National Guard in Afghanistan from December 2007 to November 2008. When he returned home, he reviewed his credit report and noticed that during May 2008, when he was overseas, a Capital One credit card was opened in his name without his knowledge.

The credit card application had an address of Blackman Street, the same residence for his ex-wife, the criminal complaint says.

McGill told police, according to the criminal complaint, that he never gave McCann McGill permission to open any credit card accounts using his personal information.

Police questioned McCann McGill on May 19, when she allegedly admitted to opening the credit card in her ex-husband’s name while he was serving in Afghanistan, the criminal complaint says.

Paratore learned from Capital One that McCann McGill used the credit card numerous times totaling $979 in purchases.

McCann McGill is scheduled to be formally arraigned in Luzerne County Court on Nov. 20.

McGill and McCann McGill couldn’t be reached for comment on Thursday.

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