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Credit card theft victim: Frustrating, worrisome experience

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A victim is speaking out after an Indianapolis woman was charged with 45 crimes.

Police said 35-year-old Kacey Rucker spent months stealing and using credit cards and forging checks in several counties. According to a court document, police first caught someone who’d been working with Rucker. That person worked with officials and helped them in the investigation.

According to police, one victim of the operation was Jill Lashbrook, who owns an antique store on the east side of Indianapolis.

She said it was Christmas Eve in 2014 when someone took her credit card and ID from her purse when she wasn’t looking.

“It was frustrating. It was worrisome,” Lashbrook said. “I got a call from my credit card company around 3 o’clock wanting to know if I’d been out to the Speedway in Carmel and if I’d been to Meijer to buy some things.”

Lashbrook said before she even realized it was gone, someone used the card to spend more than $3,000. She cancelled it and eventually got her money back.

“It just felt kind of bad because it was Christmas Eve,” she said. “So it’s like, thanks a lot, Merry Christmas.”

Three months later, police found Jill’s stolen belongings at Kacey Rucker’s house.

Now officials say Lashbrook was one of more than 20 victims linked to Ruckers’ crime spree.

Police said she targeted employees and businesses owners across central Indiana. Rucker is behind bars on unrelated charges.

“I really appreciate that they found her and stopped her at least,” Lashbrook said.

But Lashbrook said she’ll always worry about what Rucker did with her information. And now she said she’s a bit more cautious around the store.

“I keep my purse out from under the desk. I put it in a different spot so that no one can get it. I try to be a little more aware of who’s around.”

Officials said Rucker eventually admitted to the crimes of counterfeiting, forgery, theft and fraud. They said she’s one of two or three people who would enter businesses and steal from employees.

Another suspect in the case, Monique Turnbow, is scheduled for a pretrial conference on July 21.