Woman Charged With Identity Theft After Victim Allegedly Left With $13K Apartment Debt in Inver Grove Heights
Published: October 7th 2026.
INVER GROVE HEIGHTS MN - A woman is accused of using another person’s identity to help secure an Inver Grove Heights apartment lease, allegedly leaving the victim tied to more than $13,000 in debt, according to a Dakota County criminal complaint.
Tina Dlynn Frost has been charged with felony identity theft after investigators allege the victim’s personal information and electronic signature were used to list her as a co-signer on an apartment at Avana Southview Apartments.
The case came to the attention of Inver Grove Heights police on March 31, 2026, after the victim reported that her bank had notified her of a $13,776 debt that had been sent to collections.
The victim told investigators she had never lived at the apartment complex and had never applied to live there. After contacting the complex, she allegedly learned that her personal information had been used to list her as a co-signer on an apartment lease.
Police contacted apartment staff, who confirmed that the woman's name and identifying information had been submitted as part of the lease application, according to the complaint. Staff reportedly told investigators that applications and leases could be completed online without requiring an applicant to show identification.
Investigators obtained a search warrant for the application and lease records.
According to the complaint, the apartment was leased to Frost and also listed two of her relatives. Investigators allege that electronic signatures associated with both Frost and the victim were submitted from the same IP address.
Police traced that IP address to a Wi-Fi network at a Minneapolis business, according to the complaint. Investigators also found that pay stubs submitted for Frost as part of the apartment application were purportedly issued by the same business associated with that IP address.
The application also allegedly contained pay stubs submitted under the victim's name. The victim told police she had never worked for either of the businesses identified on those documents.
Investigators further noted that Frost's electronic signature and the signature attributed to the victim were submitted approximately two minutes apart and from the same IP address, according to the complaint.
Court records cited in the complaint also showed that an eviction action involving the apartment was later brought against Frost. The complaint states Frost appeared in court in February 2025 and entered into a settlement agreement in that case.
Prosecutors allege Frost transferred, possessed or used another person's identity with the intent to commit or aid unlawful activity. The felony identity theft charge carries a maximum possible sentence of 10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $20,000.
The allegations contained in a criminal complaint are accusations. Frost is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.