Woman Charged After Alleged Identity Theft Scheme Targeted South St. Paul Bank Customer
Published: July 27th, 2026.
SOUTH SAINT PAUL: A 29-year-old woman has been charged in Dakota County District Court after prosecutors allege she participated in an identity theft scheme that used a burglary victim's personal identification and financial documents to make fraudulent withdrawals and purchases.
According to the criminal complaint, Victoria Marlene Schmidt is charged with one felony count of identity theft involving more than $500 but not more than $2,500 in losses or two to three direct victims.
According to the complaint, South St. Paul police responded to a bank on March 3, 2026, after employees reported an active fraud attempt. Officers reportedly boxed in a suspect vehicle in the bank's drive-thru and identified Schmidt as the driver. Another woman, identified in the complaint as "VLC," was the front-seat passenger.
Bank employees told police the same vehicle had visited the bank the previous day. During that visit, prosecutors allege a male was driving, Schmidt was the front-seat passenger, and VLC was seated in the back. According to the complaint, VLC allegedly used a passport and temporary driver's license belonging to the victim in an attempt to withdraw $3,500 from the victim's account. Due to the bank's daily withdrawal limit, $2,000 was allegedly withdrawn before the victim reported the fraudulent activity.
The following day, the same bank teller recognized the vehicle when it returned to the drive-thru, according to the complaint. This time, Schmidt was allegedly driving while VLC again attempted to withdraw an additional $2,000 from the victim's account. Bank employees contacted law enforcement before the transaction could be completed.
According to the complaint, officers recovered $629.10 in cash from VLC after the arrests. Prosecutors allege VLC admitted identifying herself as the victim but claimed she did not know the checks were stolen. Schmidt also reportedly told investigators she believed the checks belonged to VLC because they had allegedly been used the previous day at a Home Depot.
The complaint states the victim had recently reported a burglary during which a passport and checkbook were stolen. The victim told investigators she did not know Schmidt or VLC and had never given either woman permission to use her identification or access her bank account.
Investigators also allege the victim's driver's license address had been fraudulently changed on Feb. 17, 2026. According to the complaint, the address listed on the victim's temporary driver's license matched an address associated with Schmidt. Prosecutors further allege DMV surveillance footage showed Schmidt, VLC, and a male together during the license update.
During a search of the vehicle, investigators allegedly found the victim's checkbook, including a carbon copy of a check written to Home Depot for approximately $2,304. According to the complaint, Home Depot surveillance footage from March 2 allegedly shows Schmidt and VLC purchasing two carts of merchandise using the victim's checks.
The charge remains an allegation, and Schmidt is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.