ID Theft Scam Unraveled By New Lenox Detective

NEW LENOX, IL - New Lenox Police Department detective Tim Perry is getting high marks from his superiors after cracking a major identity theft ring. Several area residents were victims, and a business in the Lincoln-Way area was at the center of the stolen identity ring, police say. The identity theft investigation was opened last May. This week, the case underwent a dramatic turn as New Lenox Police arrested a 35-year-old Matteson woman, April Gaiter. She faces six felony charges accusing her of stealing identities in Will County.

Starting last May, someone noticed two fraudulent charges on their Chase bank account, deputy chief of police Louis Alessandrini told New Lenox Patch on Tuesday. The victim realized the fraudulent withdrawal actually occurred at a Chase bank in Lafayette, Ind.

ORIGINAL STORY: Woman Charged In New Lenox ID Theft Scam

Detective Perry was assigned to the case. Business surveillance video tapes were pulled. Bank subpoenas were issued. Police in Indiana were contacted for assistance. As time went on, the investigation led Perry to track down Sena Apawu of Lafayette. A search warrant related to Apawu, 33, was executed in Indiana.

"He had stolen several IDs, and he admitted his involvement in the evidence that was recovered," Alessandrini told Patch on Tuesday. "By his own admissions, he's a con man and has been doing cons since he was a kid."

For his crimes in Indiana, Apawu was sentenced to prison for identity theft deception. Indiana Department of Corrections shows his earliest possible prison release date is Jan. 7, 2020. Given his situation, Apawu is unlikely to face any charges in Will County, New Lenox Police said.

As the case unfolded, however, it became evident to Perry that Apawu did not actually facilitate the identity thefts here in Will County. Police say the person stealing the identities of several area residents was Gaiter.

Perry determined that the common denominator in the stolen ID ring was that the victims were all patients at the Absolute Vision Care in Mokena, Alessandrini told Patch.

Gaiter had a connection to the Absolute Vision Care as well.

"She worked at the facility, and was stealing peoples' personal information, and we learned that she actually provided it to Sena Apawu," Alessandrini said. "By the time we were able to put all the pieces together, she was already terminated."

At the time of her arrest on Monday, Gaiter was employed at Neurology Consultants in Hazelcrest, police said. A Will County judge issued a bench warrant her arrest on Friday. Her bail was set at $75,000.

She needs to come up with $7,500 cash to bail herself out of jail. As of Tuesday night, that had not happened.

According to Alessandrini, "Absolute Vision Care in Mokena had no idea that she was doing this, and they cooperated with us at every request. At least three or four people were patients at Vision Care."

As for Perry, the lead detective, "he did an outstanding job on it. As an investigator, even when you're working on this case, the other felonies don't stop. You still have the thefts and all of the other cases.

"This one just came together very nicely due to the due diligence on his part."

Alessandrini said the stolen identity case is a good reminder to everyone to regularly check your bank and credit card purchases. In any given week, New Lenox Police received a handful of complaints from residents who suspect they have been scammed by identity thieves.

"I would just encourage people to keep an eye on their credit. In this case, the victim saw two withdrawals, they froze their account and our investigation began before it became rampant. It was a great case with cooperation from the Lafayette Police Department."

Mugshot of Sena Apawu provided to Patch via New Lenox Police Department, mugshot of April Gaiter via Will County Sheriff's Department