Man Accused of 16 Counts of ID Theft

A 23-year-old Racine man is accused of stealing credit cards from his mother and another woman, then using them at area businesses.

Michael Andrew McCutchen was charged in Racine County Circuit Court Friday with 16 counts of identity theft. If convicted, he faces up to 48 years in prison and $160,000 in fines.

According to the criminal complaint, on Feb. 22, 2012, a woman reported to the Mount Pleasant Police Department that a credit card tied to her student loans was missing and someone had used it to make various purchases at stores, including a $1,041 purchase at Walmart. When officers checked surveillance video footage of the transactions, they discovered a man later identified as McCutchen making the purchases.

On Wednesday, Racine police officers were called to McCutchen’s mother’s home after she reported her QUEST Card had gone missing and someone used all the funds without her permission. She suspected her son in the theft after he claimed to find the card under her bed, then later confronted him about the card.

When police arrived at the mother's home, though, the defendant's brother said he took off out a back window. McCutchen was located at an area grocery store, but officers say he told them he had permission to use his mother's card. She, however, provided a print out of transactions and told officers any amounts spent after Dec. 1 were not hers and she did not give her son permission to use her card. 

McCutchen is currently being held in Racine County Jail on $500 bond while awaiting trial.