Beth Ann Porter
Kortney Suzanne Suber
BLAINE, Minn. – (April 2, 2015) – Five defendants appeared in Anoka County District Court this week on charges related to identity theft. Judge Douglas Meslow set bail at $250,000 for each:
- Beth Porter, 32, Tallahassee, FL
- Kortney Suber, 36, no permanent address
- Masud Headen, 21, address unknown
- Ashley Wimberly, 28, Miami, FL
- Willie Morris, 26, Pompano Beach,FL
Masud Dandre Headen
According to the criminal complaint, a teller at Bank of West in Blaine called police on suspected stolen check. The teller told officers that she was suspicious of a minivan in the far drive-thru lane because the circumstances were similar to another forged check incident from a week earlier. Officers from the Blaine Police Department located the minivan, which had Florida plates and registered to a rental company. Beth Porter was driving, and Kortney Suber was in the front passenger seat. The officers found a wig and a wallet that contained the IDs, bank cards, credit cards, and checkbooks of five victims.
Porter and Suber were arrested and taken to the Blaine Police Department for questioning. Porter admitted that she and four others left Florida in the van on Friday, March 27, 2015. As they drove across the country, they broke into several cars and stole purses, wallets, checkbooks, social security cards, and other identification. She also admitted to cashing stolen checks and presenting stolen identification cards to banks. Porter told police that the three other people were staying at a hotel in Bloomington.
Ashley Lynn Wimberly
Together with the Bloomington Police Department, Blaine police officers went to the hotel on the evening of March 30, 2015. Police arrested the three additional defendants and served a search warrant. The search turned up another wig and additional stolen items belonging to another eleven victims. These victims come from across the Midwest, including North Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, and Minnesota.
Blaine Police Chief Chris Olson said, “The Blaine Police Department is pleased that we received immediate information from Bank of West. A quick and decisive response by Blaine Patrol Officers and Detectives, along with our partners from Bloomington Police Department, helped recover evidence and take suspects into custody. We are thankful to Anoka County Attorney Tony Palumbo and his office for recognizing the severity of this case and to help hold the suspects accountable for their criminal actions.”
Willie James Morris
“Luckily, no one was hurt in this cross-country crime spree,” said Anoka County Attorney Tony Palumbo. “We are grateful for the vigilant eyes of the Bank of West employee who called the police, as well as to our law enforcement partners in Blaine and Bloomington.”
