Or so the media has dubbed them.
Here in Philly we have quite a notorious case developing regarding an attractive, extremely well educated and privileged couple who seem to have chosen the easier and softer way than working to lavish themselves--intense identity theft and fraud.
Quote:
Couple Seeking Plea Deal In Identity Theft Charges
PHILADELPHIA (AP) ― A young couple whose sleek laptop offered police a road map of their highflying lifestyle, allegedly financed through identify theft, hope to win a plea deal on state charges but their troubles are mounting.
The FBI is also now weighing federal charges against college student Jocelyn Kirsch and her boyfriend, University of Pennsylvania graduate Edward Anderton.
"We're investigating with the intention of charging them federally," FBI spokeswoman Jerri Williams said late Thursday, hours after Kirsch's parents bailed her out of jail on a long list of state charges.
Philadelphia police believe the young jetsetters financed their $3,000-a-month condo and luxury trips to Paris, London, Hawaii and the Caribbean with other people's money. Specifically, they stole the identity of neighbors in their upscale building -- and at least twice broke into their victims' units, police charged.
Detectives put the scope of their fraud in the past year alone at more than $100,000. They know of at least five victims so far, one of whom was taken for $30,000.
"I've talked to both of them. They know how much trouble they're in," said defense lawyer Ronald Greenblatt, who represents Kirsch but spoke for both defendants.
. . .
During a weekend search of the couple's home, police said they found $17,500 in cash, dozens of credit cards, fake driver's licenses, keys to unlock many of the apartments and mailboxes in their building, and an industrial machine that makes ID cards.
They also found a dazzling array of travel photos on the laptop:
Kirsch modeling a red bikini at an elegant resort and reclining nude in a spa-sized bubble bath; the pair riding horseback on a beach and kissing beneath the Eiffel Tower.
The photo album, released to the press, has attracted a crush of national media and untold Internet hits.
. . .
Kirsch was released from jail Thursday afternoon, diving into the back of a car with a hooded sweat shirt covering her face. She was expected to return to Winston-Salem, N.C., with her father, a plastic surgeon.
Anderton remained in custody Thursday afternoon. His parents, who live in Everett, Wash., were expected to post bail and bring him there.
Anderton, a youth swimming standout who swam for Penn, was recently fired from a job as a financial analyst. He has no prior arrests, said his lawyer, Larry Krasner.
Kirsch is a student at Drexel University. She was charged last year with three counts of retail theft, one of which ended in a conviction, Greenblatt said. The other charges were dropped.
"It's terrible that someone with this kind of potential would engage in this kind of activity and throw away unbelievable career opportunities in life," he said of his client. "I'm just hopeful that she'll get some kind of chance to redeem herself."
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cbs3.com - Couple Seeking Plea Deal In Identity Theft Charges
There are some television news coverage videos and pictures in the same link.
People like this bring out the biggest anger in me when it comes to crime. I'm in court regularly and consistently see people who have all sorts of problems and disadvantages (alcohol and drug addictions, financial and/or family crises, lack of education, horrible and deprived backgrounds, etc) that played a role in their troubles. This kind of couple, however, have absolutely no excuse for what they did. They had every break in life--great education, good families, good looks, family money in the woman's case -- you name it. Instead, they choose to not work and steal from those who do in order to live better than everyone else.
The media is giving them lots of press attention--almost in starstruck fashion--about them, their lavish lives, their looks, the bewilderment of why they did it and how broadly and boldly they did it, etc.
What I hope is that the judge just calls them for what they are--evil minded despicable big time thieves who meant what they did for the worst reasons and had every reason not to be engaged in this massive fraud and thievery given their family, education and other advantages. The woman even has a prior conviction for retail theft and learnt nothing. They deserve, IMO, getting smacked to Pluto with prison time. It would encourage this kind of conduct and diminish the credibility of the fairness of the justice system if they didn't sentenced to a very long time in prison.