During January 2017, the Bend Police Department received a report of fraudulent activity on the account belonging to a Redmond resident. The initial report found there was over $1,000 of unauthorized charges on the resident’s credit card statement. Through some initial inquiries into the charges the resident found the items had been shipped to a location in Bend.
As the investigating officer continued to look into the case, they found another case where the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office took the report matching the details in this case. The commonality was the location where the items were shipped where Karleigh Kelly resided.
The investigating officer responded to an unrelated call for service at the address on NE Comet
Lane. The investigating officer found items similar to those purchased fraudulently inside the
residence. The investigation found that Kelly had made several purchases with stolen identities. Recovered property included shoes and cosmetics.
The investigating officer found photocopied forms of payment for Desert Orthopedics. It was learned that Kelly worked in the billing department at Desert Orthopedics. It appeared that the theft occurred between November 2016 through January 2017.
Kelly was arrested on January 29 and transported to the Deschutes County Jail, where she was lodged on (4) counts of Identity Theft, (1) count of Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card, (4) counts of Computer Crime and (1) Theft I.
Through this investigation, Desert Orthopedics was very cooperative in helping the Bend Police
Department complete the investigation. They have notified other potential victims to minimize any further loss. Since the arrest of Kelly, other community members have contacted the Bend Police Department to report identity theft in relationship to this case.
If you find you are a victim of identity theft, specifically related to a payment to Desert Orthopedics, contact the Bend Police Department at 541-693-6911.
Cases like these are important reminders for all of us to check our credit statements to make sure
we are not victims of identity theft. Everyone is vulnerable to identity theft and keeping a
consistent watch on our credit history could limit not only our loss, but the loss from our family
and neighbors.
