Police: Jackson woman steals ID from mom, children, spends $76K

A Jackson woman used the names of her mother and children to rack up more than $76,000 worth of credit-card purchases over a four-year period, police said.

Cape Girardeau County prosecuting attorney's office charged Teresa Niswonger, 50, of Jackson with identity theft and fraudulent use of a credit or debit device Wednesday.

Niswonger was still at large Thursday afternoon. Niswonger's bond was set at $10,000 cash only.

Niswonger's mother told Jackson police officers Aug. 24 she received a letter from Capital One that she had an outstanding balance of $18,445, and she had received a summons to appear in court in Cape Girardeau, according to a probable-cause statement written by detective Toby Freeman.

Freeman requested numbers from Capital One the next day and found two accounts active under the mother's name using two different Jackson addresses, Freeman wrote.

Capital One provided information a card had been issued to Niswonger's daughter in November 2013, according to the statement.

Niswonger's daughter on Oct. 21 told Freeman she noticed mail coming to her stepfather's residence from Credit One telling her she was past due on a payment, according to the statement.

She said she later saw a credit card with her name on it in her mother's purse, according to the statement.

The daughter attempted to talk to Niswonger but was afraid Niswonger might try to hurt herself, according to the statement.

She said Niswonger had three cards open in her name.

Niswonger's three other children talked to Freeman and said they all had been victims of their mother fraudulently using their information to obtain credit cards and checking accounts, according to the statement. One daughter filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy because Niswonger had ruined her credit history, Freeman wrote.

Niswonger's mother provided information on 11 accounts Niswonger had opened, according to the statement.

Niswonger owed more than $18,000 on American Express and Capital One accounts and more than $10,000 on a Barclays account, Freeman wrote.

The total from those 11 accounts was $76,847, according to the statement.

bkleine@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3644

Pertinent address:

525 S. Hope St., Jackson, Mo.