In identity theft scheme, media did no reporting, just waited for news release

Even though most of the action in these cases took place months ago with no mention from the traditional media, all of a sudden, Missouri newspapers and television stations have taken notice of an identity theft scheme that involved employees of the Missouri Department of Social Services and Department of Revenue.

What brought this sudden rush of attention? It should come as no surprise that instead of following developments in the federal judicial system, the traditional media failed to write a word until they received a news release from the U. S. Attorney's office.

The case was announced with all sorts of fanfare when the initial indictments were revealed, but then was not mentioned again as one defendant after another pleaded guilty. The media had to wait until the story was handed to them.

This was the news release issued by the U. S. Attorney's office:

John F. Wood, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Mo., man who was formerly incarcerated in a state prison and a Jefferson City, Mo., woman who was formerly employed by the Missouri Department of Revenue were each sentenced in federal court yesterday for participating in a $160,000 fraud conspiracy that involved stealing the identities of other persons and using them to provide cell phone service to state prison inmates.

Clayton J. Deardorff, 30, of Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Scott O. Wright to five years and five months in federal prison without parole. Co-defendant Erica Daniece Kelley, 29, of Jefferson City, was sentenced to five years of probation. The court also ordered Deardorff and Kelley to pay more than $160,000 in restitution, for which they are jointly and severally liable.

Deardorff and Kelley are among seven co-defendants charged in a May 31, 2007, federal indictment, all of whom have pleaded guilty. From January 2002 through December 2006, conspirators used stolen identity information, such as names and Social Security numbers, to set up multiple accounts for cell phone service so that inmates at state corrections facilities could communicate with the defendants and others outside prison.

Among the identity theft victims were mentally disabled and other residents of group homes in Jefferson City and Columbia, Mo., Sprint customers, and Missourians whose information was stolen by two employees of the state Department of Revenue. The fraud scheme resulted in more than $80,000 in unpaid telephone charges as well as additional losses for credit card accounts that were opened using stolen identities.

Co-defendant Angie Marie Roark, 30, of New Bloomfield, Mo., was sentenced on Feb. 5, 2008, to five years and 10 months in federal prison without parole. Co-defendant Brenda McKay Adams, 34, of Jefferson City, was sentenced on Feb. 5, 2008, to five years of probation. Roark and Adams are also jointly and severally liable for more than $160,000 in restitution.

Clayton Deardorff was incarcerated at various Missouri prisons, including the Tipton, Mo., Correctional Facility. Clayton Deardorff recruited his wife, Robin Lynette Deardorff, 32, of Kansas City, and others to steal identity information so he and others inside prison could make telephone calls. Robin Deardorff worked at a Jefferson City nursing home operated by New Horizons Community Support Services, Inc., where she had access to identity information of residents of the home. Robin Deardorff stole this information to set up the phone lines and order cell phones. A sentencing hearing for Robin Deardorff has not yet been scheduled.

Kelley was an employee of the Missouri Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Bureau until January 2003. In this position, she had access to identification of Motor Vehicle Bureau customers, which she delivered to co-conspirators during the scheme. Kelley admitted that she provided conspirators with personal information from 10 to 15 individuals.

Roark was an employee of Sprint PCS at various times, where she had access to identity information of Sprint customers. Her position at Sprint and her knowledge of the company's methods and operating procedures enabled her to assist the other conspirators in the scheme. In addition, she had land lines installed and cell phones delivered to her residence as part of the scheme.

Adams participated in the conspiracy during 2005 and 2006 by using her home address to have telephone lines installed and cell phones delivered, all of which had been ordered as part of the fraud scheme.

Co-defendant Krystal G. Stephens, 22, of Jefferson City, was a part-time employee of the Missouri Department of Revenue, Division of Taxation and Collection from 2003 to 2005 and had access to identification information of division customers. She delivered 10 to 20 names and Social Security numbers to co-conspirators as part of the scheme.

Co-defendant Anna M. Stephens, 31, of Jefferson City, the sister of Krystal Stephens, was an employee of United Telephone Company (Sprint) at various times, where she had access to customers' identification information and knowledge of the company's methods and operating procedures. She used that information to assist the conspirators in their scheme, and also had phone lines installed and cell phones delivered to her residence.

Sentencing hearings for Krystal Stephens and Anna Stephens have not yet been scheduled.

Prisoners in the Missouri Department of Corrections are allowed to make calls while confined, but have to have a method to pay for the calls. Often this is done by making collect calls. Conspirators set up phone lines and purchased cell phones using the stolen identities so that inmates could make the collect calls. The calls from the prison would then be automatically directed and forwarded from a local number to a cell phone. Generally the fraudulently-opened telephone services would continue until the telephone company canceled the service for non-payment.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Anthony P. Gonzalez. It was investigated by the Missouri Attorney General's Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - Office of Inspector General.

If this was a simple criminal case, I would have no problem with waiting for the U. S. Attorney's office. But this was far more than that. This was a case, as The Turner Report noted numerous times that involved the compromising of Missourians' personal information, primarily due to a lack of effort by our state agencies to do simple background checks of those who are hired to handle this information.

As I wrote in the June 14, 2007, Turner Report, state officials said this type of background check can take eight to 12 weeks:

Perhaps someone needs to give our state bureaucrats a lesson on how to do a simple background check. It only took The Turner Report five minutes (not one month or eight to 12 weeks) to uncover enough information to sound warning bells about the prospect of Mrs. Deardorff working for the state government, or in any position of responsibility, for that matter.

A simple check of case.net shows eight listings for Mrs. Deardorff, including seven criminal charges. The oldest charge, dating back to 1993, was for misdemeanor stealing, for which she received five days in jail and was placed on probation.

Two years later, Mrs. Deardorff received 30 days in jail for endangering the welfare of a child, not exactly the type of activity that seems in keeping with the Family Support Division of the Department of Social Services.

The remainder of the criminal charges involve annual charges of driving while revoked from 2003 through 2006, with the last three times involving the use of electronic shackles in lieu of jail time.

In 2005, she also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of passing a bad check.

It would not have taken long for a background check to uncover the news that Mrs. Deardorff's husband (and co-defendant) Clayton Deardorff, is an unwilling guest in a Missouri state penitentiary.

Would it be too much to ask the people in charge of hiring state employees to at least conduct a five-minute Case.net check before using taxpayers' money to hire undesirable workers?

The following day, I discovered more about Ms. Deardorff by running a case.net check on her maiden name:

On July 13, 1995, she pleaded guilty to misdemeanor stealing charges and was placed on supervised probation for two years. This was the second time she had pleaded guilty to a stealing charge.

Despite all of this easily obtainable information, Robin Deardorff had access to sensitive personal information.

It would be bad enough if Ms. Deardorff was the only one who slipped through the cracks, but that would not take into account one of her co-defendants, Krystal Stephens, a former employee of the Missouri Department of Revenue's Division of Taxation. As I noted in the Aug. 2, 2007, Turner Report:

During a statement she made to federal and state officials, Ms. Stephens admitted to providing personal information from state files to her sister and to Robin Deardorff so they could buy cellphones to use to talk to their prisoner boyfriends. Ms. Stephens said, "She said she didn't use many, but she shouldn't have used any and it was partly my fault, but I don't work there anymore and don't plan to and would work there in that environment and put myself in my predicament any more. I want my high school diploma and to do hair."

Since when does the Missouri Department of Revenue hire people to handle sensitive information who do not even have high school diplomas? Did anyone even ask Ms. Stephens questions about her educational background before she was hired?

Who knows how many more people like Robin Deardorff and Krystal Stephens are lurking in our state agencies, with unfettered access to our personal information. This is a story the media should have jumped on immediately and still have time to do.

Don't wait for someone to issue a news release. It's not going to happen.

Where is the media on the Robin Deardorff story?

Apparently, the idea that a woman with a considerable criminal record could be working for the Missouri Department of Social Services is not as important to state media as a chance to cover the continuing juvenile sniping between the governor and the attorney general.

As I noted in the June 14 Turner Report, Robin Deardorff, who was indicted by a federal grand jury on fraud and identity theft charges worked at the Department of Social Services right up until June 11, despite a long record of brushes with the law. Questions about Ms. Deardorff's employment were asked by the media, but this explanation offered to the Associated Press was apparently allowed to stand without further examination:

A spokeswoman for the Social Services Department would not say whether Robin Deardorff had left voluntarily. Spokeswoman Sara Anderson said background checks are performed on all employees, but those who don't have direct contact with the public are not screened until after they have been hired.

Anderson said it generally takes a month for background checks for employees who don't have direct contact and eight to 12 weeks for employees who do.

It only took me five minutes to find enough information on case.net to indicate Mrs. Deardorff should never have been hired for the position, the kind of check that state bureaucrats apparently do not bother to make:

A simple check of case.net shows eight listings for Mrs. Deardorff, including seven criminal charges. The oldest charge, dating back to 1993, was for misdemeanor stealing, for which she received five days in jail and was placed on probation.

Two years later, Mrs. Deardorff received 30 days in jail for endangering the welfare of a child, not exactly the type of activity that seems in keeping with the Family Support Division of the Department of Social Services.

The remainder of the criminal charges involve annual charges of driving while revoked from 2003 through 2006, with the last three times involving the use of electronic shackles in lieu of jail time.

In 2005, she also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of passing a bad check.

It would not have taken long for a background check to uncover the news that Mrs. Deardorff's husband (and co-defendant) Clayton Deardorff, is an unwilling guest in a Missouri state penitentiary.

I conducted a case.net check on Mrs. Deardorff's maiden name, Robin Sidney, and found more information that should have prevented her from ever being the recipient of taxpayer money:

On July 13, 1995, she pleaded guilty to misdemeanor stealing charges and was placed on supervised probation for two years. This was the second time she had pleaded guilty to a stealing charge.

Instead of taking potshots at each other perhaps, Matt Blunt and Jay Nixon need to investigate how Robin Deardorff ever came to work for the state and find out just what procedures our state departments and agencies use when investigating potential employees.

No one should ever work in a place of trust without having to undergo at least a cursory background check.

Where has the media been on this case. Are our reporters simply content to base its government coverage on news releases?

Government asks that identity theft scheme participant's bond to be revoked

In documents filed today in U. S. District Court in Jefferson City, the government asked that the probation of Clayton Deardorff, one of those convicted in an identity theft scheme that included information obtained from state agencies, be revoked.

Deardorff was arrested Tuesday in Grandview for driving while intoxicated and driving while revoked, and has outstanding warrants on other charges, according to the motion.
The identity theft scheme was outlined in this March release from the U. S. Attorney's office:

John F. Wood, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Mo., man who was formerly incarcerated in a state prison and a Jefferson City, Mo., woman who was formerly employed by the Missouri Department of Revenue were each sentenced in federal court yesterday for participating in a $160,000 fraud conspiracy that involved stealing the identities of other persons and using them to provide cell phone service to state prison inmates.

Clayton J. Deardorff, 30, of Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Scott O. Wright to five years and five months in federal prison without parole. Co-defendant Erica Daniece Kelley, 29, of Jefferson City, was sentenced to five years of probation. The court also ordered Deardorff and Kelley to pay more than $160,000 in restitution, for which they are jointly and severally liable.

Deardorff and Kelley are among seven co-defendants charged in a May 31, 2007, federal indictment, all of whom have pleaded guilty. From January 2002 through December 2006, conspirators used stolen identity information, such as names and Social Security numbers, to set up multiple accounts for cell phone service so that inmates at state corrections facilities could communicate with the defendants and others outside prison.

Among the identity theft victims were mentally disabled and other residents of group homes in Jefferson City and Columbia, Mo., Sprint customers, and Missourians whose information was stolen by two employees of the state Department of Revenue. The fraud scheme resulted in more than $80,000 in unpaid telephone charges as well as additional losses for credit card accounts that were opened using stolen identities.

Co-defendant Angie Marie Roark, 30, of New Bloomfield, Mo., was sentenced on Feb. 5, 2008, to five years and 10 months in federal prison without parole. Co-defendant Brenda McKay Adams, 34, of Jefferson City, was sentenced on Feb. 5, 2008, to five years of probation. Roark and Adams are also jointly and severally liable for more than $160,000 in restitution.

Clayton Deardorff was incarcerated at various Missouri prisons, including the Tipton, Mo., Correctional Facility. Clayton Deardorff recruited his wife, Robin Lynette Deardorff, 32, of Kansas City, and others to steal identity information so he and others inside prison could make telephone calls. Robin Deardorff worked at a Jefferson City nursing home operated by New Horizons Community Support Services, Inc., where she had access to identity information of residents of the home. Robin Deardorff stole this information to set up the phone lines and order cell phones. A sentencing hearing for Robin Deardorff has not yet been scheduled.

Kelley was an employee of the Missouri Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Bureau until January 2003. In this position, she had access to identification of Motor Vehicle Bureau customers, which she delivered to co-conspirators during the scheme. Kelley admitted that she provided conspirators with personal information from 10 to 15 individuals.

Roark was an employee of Sprint PCS at various times, where she had access to identity information of Sprint customers. Her position at Sprint and her knowledge of the company's methods and operating procedures enabled her to assist the other conspirators in the scheme. In addition, she had land lines installed and cell phones delivered to her residence as part of the scheme.

Adams participated in the conspiracy during 2005 and 2006 by using her home address to have telephone lines installed and cell phones delivered, all of which had been ordered as part of the fraud scheme.

Co-defendant Krystal G. Stephens, 22, of Jefferson City, was a part-time employee of the Missouri Department of Revenue, Division of Taxation and Collection from 2003 to 2005 and had access to identification information of division customers. She delivered 10 to 20 names and Social Security numbers to co-conspirators as part of the scheme.

Co-defendant Anna M. Stephens, 31, of Jefferson City, the sister of Krystal Stephens, was an employee of United Telephone Company (Sprint) at various times, where she had access to customers' identification information and knowledge of the company's methods and operating procedures. She used that information to assist the conspirators in their scheme, and also had phone lines installed and cell phones delivered to her residence.

Sentencing hearings for Krystal Stephens and Anna Stephens have not yet been scheduled.

Prisoners in the Missouri Department of Corrections are allowed to make calls while confined, but have to have a method to pay for the calls. Often this is done by making collect calls. Conspirators set up phone lines and purchased cell phones using the stolen identities so that inmates could make the collect calls. The calls from the prison would then be automatically directed and forwarded from a local number to a cell phone. Generally the fraudulently-opened telephone services would continue until the telephone company canceled the service for non-payment.

Two defendants in identity theft scheme plead guilty

A former Missouri Department of Revenue employee, who used her access to personal records as part of an identity theft scheme, pleaded guilty today in U. S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.
Erica Daniece Kelley (pictured) pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud during a nine-minute hearing in the federal courts building in Jefferson City.
Also pleading guilty to the same charge today was Brenda McKay Adams.
The plea agreements for both women described the scheme. According to the agreements, Ms. Kelley, Ms. Adams, Clayton Deardorff, Robin Deardorff, Angie Roark, Krystal Stephens, Anna Stephens, and others took personal identification, including names, Social Security numbers, and dates of births to commit fraud, theft, and other crimes. "In part, they stole and acquired personal information, and used this information to start phone service at homes as well as cellular service. The defendants would then pass the information through Robin Deardorff to persons already in prison, including Clayton Deardorff. The prisoners then would use the phone service without cost to them, or to the person they were calling, or to any of the defendants."

Robin Deardorff, according to the information in the plea agreement, "enlisted others," including Ms. Kelley, who is her cousin, and Ms. Adams, to steal personal information. Ms. Kelley was employed at the Department of Revenue during all of 2002 through Jan. 3, 2003, in the Driver's License Division. Ms. Deardorff recruited Ms. Kelley to provide personal information about drivers, to set up telephone service for prisoners. Ms. Kelley admits to providing information about at least 10 drivers to Ms. Deardorff, who gave it to her imprisoned husband who traded the information for "cash or something else of value."

The scheme cost the telephone companies more than $80,000, according to the plea agreements. "Additional losses were incurred by credit card companies when the defendants opened credit card accounts using the stolen identification information."

The scheme was in operation from 2002 to 2006.

Woman arrested in telephone scheme has long history of problems with the law

How long does it take the Missouri Department of Social Services to conduct a background check on prospective employees?

If the Missouri Department of Social Services had conducted the same simple background check The Turner Report used it could have saved itself considerable embarrassment.

Robin Deardorff, 31, Jefferson City, was indicted by a federal grand jury June 1 for a fraud scheme in which she and six others allegedly used Social Security numbers, names and birth dates to set up cell phone and landline phone service to help prisoners make calls through the accounts. She faces one charge of fraud and four counts of identity theft.

At the time she was indicted, Mrs. Deardorff was a state employee, working for the Family Support Division of the Department of Social Services. She held that job through Monday, according to news accounts.

Chris Blank's article for Associated Press gives the department's explanation of how someone of that caliber could be working for the state:

A spokeswoman for the Social Services Department would not say whether Robin Deardorff had left voluntarily. Spokeswoman Sara Anderson said background checks are performed on all employees, but those who don't have direct contact with the public are not screened until after they have been hired.

Anderson said it generally takes a month for background checks for employees who don't have direct contact and eight to 12 weeks for employees who do.

Perhaps someone needs to give our state bureaucrats a lesson on how to do a simple background check. It only took The Turner Report five minutes (not one month or eight to 12 weeks) to uncover enough information to sound warning bells about the prospect of Mrs. Deardorff working for the state government, or in any position of responsibility, for that matter.

A simple check of case.net shows eight listings for Mrs. Deardorff, including seven criminal charges. The oldest charge, dating back to 1993, was for misdemeanor stealing, for which she received five days in jail and was placed on probation.

Two years later, Mrs. Deardorff received 30 days in jail for endangering the welfare of a child, not exactly the type of activity that seems in keeping with the Family Support Division of the Department of Social Services.

The remainder of the criminal charges involve annual charges of driving while revoked from 2003 through 2006, with the last three times involving the use of electronic shackles in lieu of jail time.

In 2005, she also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of passing a bad check.

It would not have taken long for a background check to uncover the news that Mrs. Deardorff's husband (and co-defendant) Clayton Deardorff, is an unwilling guest in a Missouri state penitentiary.

Would it be too much to ask the people in charge of hiring state employees to at least conduct a five-minute Case.net check before using taxpayers' money to hire undesirable workers?

State job applicants' backgrounds must be checked

Governor Matt Blunt announced today that the three candidates for a vacant seat on the Missouri Supreme Court would have to fill out a 111-question form:

"Missourians expect their governor to thoroughly and thoughtfully examine the experience and qualifications of each of the candidates for the Supreme Court and this is part of our exhaustive review of their credentials," said the Governor's Chief Counsel Henry Herschel. "We also believe that the process of selecting a Supreme Court judge should not be secret."
While you can't blame the governor for not wanting to know as much as possible about those who hope to sit on our state's highest judicial panel, it would be nice if he would require his state departments to ask one question, or to conduct at least a cursory background check of those who want to work in state agencies and deal with Missourians' personal information.

Two prime examples can be found in the ongoing saga of state workers who have become involved in fraud and identity theft involving information that came from state records.

As noted in the July 31 Turner Report, one of those who has been charged in connection with the case is Krystal Stephens, a former employee of the Missouri Department of Revenue's Division of Taxation.

During a statement she made to federal and state officials, Ms. Stephens admitted to providing personal information from state files to her sister and to Robin Deardorff so they could buy cellphones to use to talk to their prisoner boyfriends. Ms. Stephens said, "She said she didn't use many, but she shouldn't have used any and it was partly my fault, but I don't work there anymore and don't plan to and would work there in that environment and put myself in my predicament any more. I want my high school diploma and to do hair."

Since when does the Missouri Department of Revenue hire people to handle sensitive information who do not even have high school diplomas? Did anyone even ask Ms. Stephens questions about her educational background before she was hired?

And, of course, there is Ms. Deardorff herself. Apparently, no background check was conducted on her either. As I pointed out in previous posts, Ms. Deardorff, who was employed by the Missouri Department of Social Services, never should have been hired in the first place, and if anyone had taken only a few moments to check her background, she would have been turned away.

It only took me five minutes to find enough information on case.net to indicate Mrs. Deardorff should never have been hired for the position, the kind of check that state bureaucrats apparently do not bother to make.

A simple check of case.net shows eight listings for Mrs. Deardorff, including seven criminal charges. The oldest charge, dating back to 1993, was for misdemeanor stealing, for which she received five days in jail and was placed on probation.

Two years later, Mrs. Deardorff received 30 days in jail for endangering the welfare of a child, not exactly the type of activity that seems in keeping with the Family Support Division of the Department of Social Services.

The remainder of the criminal charges involve annual charges of driving while revoked from 2003 through 2006, with the last three times involving the use of electronic shackles in lieu of jail time.

In 2005, she also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of passing a bad check.

It would not have taken long for a background check to uncover the news that Mrs. Deardorff's husband (and co-defendant) Clayton Deardorff, is an unwilling guest in a Missouri state penitentiary.

I conducted a case.net check on Mrs. Deardorff's maiden name, Robin Sidney, and found more information that should have prevented her from ever being the recipient of taxpayer money

On July 13, 1995, she pleaded guilty to misdemeanor stealing charges and was placed on supervised probation for two years. This was the second time she had pleaded guilty to a stealing charge.

How many more Robin Deardorffs and Krystal Stephenses are on the state payroll, handling sensitive information? Perhaps our governor should take some of those 111 questions he is directing toward our Supreme Court finalists and ask them of others who want to receive government paychecks.

How was Deardorff ever allowed to work for Department of Social Services?

Veteran reporter Bob Watson offers solid coverage of the continuing turf wars between Governor Matt Blunt and his Democratic opponent for the 2008 nomination Attorney General Jay Nixon in an article in today's Jefferson City News-Tribune.

The only problem with the coverage that Watson and other state reporters have offered on this ongoing saga is that it's not the story that we need to look at. With the damage that can be done by identity theft in this day and age, it is more important than ever that our state agencies take every precaution to make sure they hire high quality workers.

As The Turner Report has shown over the past two days, that care was obviously not exercised in the Department of Social Services' hiring of Robin Deardorff, Jefferson City, one of seven indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of fraud and identity theft.

A spokeswoman for Social Services said late last week that it took a month to do background checks for some positions in her department and up to three months for others.

It took less than five minutes for me, using only the easily available Case.net to find enough information to prevent Robin Deardorff from ever being hired by the Department of Social Services:

A simple check of case.net shows eight listings for Mrs. Deardorff, including seven criminal charges. The oldest charge, dating back to 1993, was for misdemeanor stealing, for which she received five days in jail and was placed on probation.

Two years later, Mrs. Deardorff received 30 days in jail for endangering the welfare of a child, not exactly the type of activity that seems in keeping with the Family Support Division of the Department of Social Services.

The remainder of the criminal charges involve annual charges of driving while revoked from 2003 through 2006, with the last three times involving the use of electronic shackles in lieu of jail time.

In 2005, she also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of passing a bad check.

As I wrote in a post yesterday, another check of case.net, searching for Mrs. Deardorff under her maiden name, Robin Sidney, showed yet another conviction for misdemeanor stealing.

Is it too much to ask state officials to take five minutes to check the background of someone who may have access to sensitive information?

Prisoner's appeal rejected in identity theft case

A federal court judge today rejected the appeal of a man who was sentenced to five years in prison for his role in a scheme to sneak cell phones in to prisoners.

According to the court filing, the judge rejected Clayton Deardorff's claim that he pleaded guilty because his lawyer did a poor job. Deardorff's appeal also came after the deadline for filing such an action.

Deardorff was a prisoner at the time the scheme took place, according to court records. After an initial brief flurry of publicity, this case, which involved state employees using taxpayers' personal records for profit, received almost no publicity.

Deardorff's wife, Robin Lynette Deardorff, a former employee of the Missouri Department of Social Services implemented the scheme on the outside. She and
six others used Social Security numbers, names and birth dates to set up cell phone and landline phone service to help prisoners make calls through the account.




When she was indicted by a federal grand jury in 2007, Mrs. Deardorff was a state employee, working for the Family Support Division of the Department of Social Services. The arrest was an embarrassment for Social Services, with officials claiming that it takes several weeks to conduct a background check and that is why no one had discovered any problems with Mrs. Deardorff's background.

In the June 14, 2007, Turner Report, I noted that it only took me a few minutes to discover enough information to keep Mrs. Deardorff from ever holding a job in which she dealt with taxpayer money:

Perhaps someone needs to give our state bureaucrats a lesson on how to do a simple background check. It only took The Turner Report five minutes (not one month or eight to 12 weeks) to uncover enough information to sound warning bells about the prospect of Mrs. Deardorff working for the state government, or in any position of responsibility, for that matter.

A simple check of case.net shows eight listings for Mrs. Deardorff, including seven criminal charges. The oldest charge, dating back to 1993, was for misdemeanor stealing, for which she received five days in jail and was placed on probation.

Two years later, Mrs. Deardorff received 30 days in jail for endangering the welfare of a child, not exactly the type of activity that seems in keeping with the Family Support Division of the Department of Social Services.

The remainder of the criminal charges involve annual charges of driving while revoked from 2003 through 2006, with the last three times involving the use of electronic shackles in lieu of jail time.

In 2005, she also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of passing a bad check.

It would not have taken long for a background check to uncover the news that Mrs. Deardorff's husband (and co-defendant) Clayton Deardorff, is an unwilling guest in a Missouri state penitentiary.

The day after that post was made, I uncovered more information about Mrs. Deardorff, by checking her maiden name on case.net:

A quick check of Case.net records under Mrs. Deardorff's maiden name, Robin Sidney, shows yet another conviction. On July 13, 1995, she pleaded guilty to misdemeanor stealing charges and was placed on supervised probation for two years. This was the second time she had pleaded guilty to a stealing charge.

Other defendants who have pleaded guilty in this case include two former Department of Revenue employees who also used their jobs to gain access to Missourians' personal records.

Three years have passed and yet no one has released any information on how many Missourians had their personal information compromised through this scheme and how these people were allowed to be in responsible positions in state government.

Social Services also overlooked second Deardorff stealing conviction

Our government controls an incredible amount of personal information about all citizens, so it is alarming when we read that these nameless, faceless bureaucrats have abused our trust by taking that information and using it to enrich themselves.

Such was the case with Robin Deardorff, who worked for the Missouri Department of Social Services until this week, when she was arrested on federal charges of fraud and identity theft.

As I noted in the June 14 Turner Report, state officials quickly circled the wagons, protesting that they did not have enough time to investigate Mrs. Deardorff's background before they put her to work. This passage comes from an Associated Press article:

Spokeswoman Sara Anderson said background checks are performed on all employees, but those who don't have direct contact with the public are not screened until after they have been hired.

Anderson said it generally takes a month for background checks for employees who don't have direct contact and eight to 12 weeks for employees who do.

As I noted in my earlier post, it only took five minutes for me to find information that would have kept any sensible person from hiring Mrs. Deardorff for any job that would put her in contact with personal, private information:

A simple check of case.net shows eight listings for Mrs. Deardorff, including seven criminal charges. The oldest charge, dating back to 1993, was for misdemeanor stealing, for which she received five days in jail and was placed on probation.

Two years later, Mrs. Deardorff received 30 days in jail for endangering the welfare of a child, not exactly the type of activity that seems in keeping with the Family Support Division of the Department of Social Services.

The remainder of the criminal charges involve annual charges of driving while revoked from 2003 through 2006, with the last three times involving the use of electronic shackles in lieu of jail time.

In 2005, she also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of passing a bad check.

Today's Ozarks Messenger features the continuing aftermath of the arrests as the governor's office and the Department of Social Services continue to throw brickbats back and forth with the attorney general about how the arrest was handled.

One passage in a letter written by Deborah Scott, the director of the Department of Social Services, is particularly to the point:

"The Department of Social Services seeks to operate with the highest degree of integrity. We have extremely important duties, and we have very strong policies in place regarding confidentiality. The public trust is a sacred thing."

Ms. Scott was referring to the petty turf wars between governmental agencies and, of course, the upcoming battle between her boss, Governor Matt Blunt, and Attorney General Jay Nixon.

If she truly believes the public trust is that sacred, Ms. Scott needs to spend more time figuring out how to keep people like Mrs. Deardorff from working in her department.

A quick check of Case.net records under Mrs. Deardorff's maiden name, Robin Sidney, shows yet another conviction. On July 13, 1995, she pleaded guilty to misdemeanor stealing charges and was placed on supervised probation for two years. This was the second time she had pleaded guilty to a stealing charge.

Maybe the public trust is a sacred thing to Ms. Scott, but when she allows people to be in close proximity to our personal, valuable information without even doing a cursory background check to see if she is hiring a convicted thief, then she has violated that public trust.

Sentencing scheduled for identity theft defendants

A 9 a.m. July 22 sentencing hearing is set for two defendant in an identity theft scheme that involved the use of government records by state employees.

Robin Lynette Deardorff, a former employee of the Missouri Department of Social Services and Anna May Stephens are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Scott Wright.

Ms. Deardorff, 31, Jefferson City, was indicted by a federal grand jury June 1, 2007, for a fraud scheme in which she and six others allegedly used Social Security numbers, names and birth dates to set up cell phone and landline phone service to help prisoners make calls through the accounts. She faces one charge of fraud and four counts of identity theft.

At the time she was indicted, Mrs. Deardorff was a state employee, working for the Family Support Division of the Department of Social Services. The arrest was an embarrassment for Social Services, with officials claiming that it takes several weeks to conduct a background check and that is why no one had discovered any problems with Mrs. Deardorff's background.

In the June 14, 2007, Turner Report, I noted that it only took me a few minutes to discover enough information to keep Mrs. Deardorff from ever holding a job in which she dealt with taxpayer money:

Perhaps someone needs to give our state bureaucrats a lesson on how to do a simple background check. It only took The Turner Report five minutes (not one month or eight to 12 weeks) to uncover enough information to sound warning bells about the prospect of Mrs. Deardorff working for the state government, or in any position of responsibility, for that matter.

A simple check of case.net shows eight listings for Mrs. Deardorff, including seven criminal charges. The oldest charge, dating back to 1993, was for misdemeanor stealing, for which she received five days in jail and was placed on probation.

Two years later, Mrs. Deardorff received 30 days in jail for endangering the welfare of a child, not exactly the type of activity that seems in keeping with the Family Support Division of the Department of Social Services.

The remainder of the criminal charges involve annual charges of driving while revoked from 2003 through 2006, with the last three times involving the use of electronic shackles in lieu of jail time.

In 2005, she also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of passing a bad check.

It would not have taken long for a background check to uncover the news that Mrs. Deardorff's husband (and co-defendant) Clayton Deardorff, is an unwilling guest in a Missouri state penitentiary.

The day after that post was made, I uncovered more information about Mrs. Deardorff, by checking her maiden name on case.net:

A quick check of Case.net records under Mrs. Deardorff's maiden name, Robin Sidney, shows yet another conviction. On July 13, 1995, she pleaded guilty to misdemeanor stealing charges and was placed on supervised probation for two years. This was the second time she had pleaded guilty to a stealing charge.

Other defendants who have pleaded guilty in this case include two former Department of Revenue employees who also used their jobs to gain access to Missourians' personal records.

No one has yet released any information on how many Missourians had their personal information compromised through this scheme and how these people were allowed to be in responsible positions in state government.

Where is the media?

Former Social Services employee to plead guilty in identity theft case

The remaining defendants in an identity fraud case involving the use of fraudulently obtained cellphones by prisoners are scheduled to plead guilty next week in U. S. District Court in Jefferson City.
Court records indicate Robin Lynette Deardorff, a former employee of the Missouri Department of Social Services, will change her plea during a 9 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5, hearing before Judge William Knox. Anna May Stephens' plea change hearing is set for Tuesday, Dec. 4.
Ms. Deardorff, 31, Jefferson City, was indicted by a federal grand jury June 1 for a fraud scheme in which she and six others allegedly used Social Security numbers, names and birth dates to set up cell phone and landline phone service to help prisoners make calls through the accounts. She faces one charge of fraud and four counts of identity theft.

At the time she was indicted, Mrs. Deardorff was a state employee, working for the Family Support Division of the Department of Social Services. The arrest was an embarrassment for Social Services, with officials claiming that it takes several weeks to conduct a background check and that is why no one had discovered any problems with Mrs. Deardorff's background.

In the June 14 Turner Report, I noted that it only took me a few minutes to discover enough information to keep Mrs. Deardorff from ever holding a job in which she dealt with taxpayer money:

Perhaps someone needs to give our state bureaucrats a lesson on how to do a simple background check. It only took The Turner Report five minutes (not one month or eight to 12 weeks) to uncover enough information to sound warning bells about the prospect of Mrs. Deardorff working for the state government, or in any position of responsibility, for that matter.

A simple check of case.net shows eight listings for Mrs. Deardorff, including seven criminal charges. The oldest charge, dating back to 1993, was for misdemeanor stealing, for which she received five days in jail and was placed on probation.

Two years later, Mrs. Deardorff received 30 days in jail for endangering the welfare of a child, not exactly the type of activity that seems in keeping with the Family Support Division of the Department of Social Services.

The remainder of the criminal charges involve annual charges of driving while revoked from 2003 through 2006, with the last three times involving the use of electronic shackles in lieu of jail time.

In 2005, she also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of passing a bad check.

It would not have taken long for a background check to uncover the news that Mrs. Deardorff's husband (and co-defendant) Clayton Deardorff, is an unwilling guest in a Missouri state penitentiary.

I uncovered more information about Mrs. Deardorff's background in the June 16 Turner Report:

A quick check of Case.net records under Mrs. Deardorff's maiden name, Robin Sidney, shows yet another conviction. On July 13, 1995, she pleaded guilty to misdemeanor stealing charges and was placed on supervised probation for two years. This was the second time she had pleaded guilty to a stealing charge.

The case also featured two Department of Revenue employees as defendants. Both of them have entered guilty pleas.

Guilty pleas entered in fraud, identity theft cases

Guilty pleas were entered in U. S. District Court in Jefferson City today by two defendants in an identity theft scheme that involved employees of the Missouri Department of Social Services and the Missouri Department of Revenue.
According to court records, Clayton Deardorff, 29, Kansas City, pleaded guilty to two counts and faces up to 20 years in prison. The following description of his role in the scheme was provided by the Attorney General's office:

Clayton Deardorff was incarcerated at various Missouri prisons, including Tipton Correctional Facility. He allegedly recruited his wife, Robin L. Deardorff, and others to steal identity information so he and others inside prison could make the collect calls. Robin worked at a Jefferson City nursing home operated by New Horizons Community Support Services Inc. She had access to identity information of residents of the home, which she allegedly stole to set up the phone lines and order cell phones. Robin Deardorff, who has a criminal background, was employed by the Missouri Department of Social Services, Family Support Division as of June 11.

Also pleading guilty was Angie Roark, described as "an employee of Sprint PCS at various times, where she had access to identity information of Sprint customers. Her position at Sprint and her knowledge of the company’s methods and operating procedures enabled her to assist the other conspirators in the scheme, the indictment alleges. In addition, she allegedly had landlines installed and cell phones delivered to her residence as part of the scheme."

As noted in the July 30 Turner Report, two other defendants have already pleaded guilty.

Among those who still await trial are Deardorff's wife, Robin, who was employed by the Department of Social Services right up until July 11, despite a record that should have kept her from ever being hired.

As I noted in the June 14 Turner Report and the June 16 Turner Report a simple five-minute case.net check uncovered enough information to keep her from ever working for the state. That check, however, was never made.

Time for first half of 2007 wrapup

Every six months I offer a review of stories that ran in The Turner Report that were either picked up by local, regional, and state media, or should have been. I am always amazed at how personally people take this. I usually receive criticism for "patting myself on the back," or get cheap shots from people who believe because I write so many posts that I don't do much of anything else.

I would like to remind those people how pathetic it is to keep coming back and reading a blog written by someone for whom you hold such obvious contempt.

Now onto the review. This time, I am going to break it up into six segments, one for each month, to make it a little easier to read.
The first half of 2007 has been successful for this blog. At the beginning of 2005, I was lucky to receive 50 unique visitors per day. The Turner Report now normally averages 500 to 600 unique visitors per day, with gusts of up to 1,400, depending on what stories are running and which ones are cited in other blogs.

So thank you, loyal readers and occasional bypassers for helping The Turner Report grow.

June

June 30- The fact that Rep. Fred Kratky, D-St. Louis, planned to resign and wanted his wife, real estate lobbyist Michele Kratky, to take his place was already known. This post showed that Kratky was pushing legislation that would benefit himself and his future employer.

June 25- Former U. S. Attorney Todd Graves' law firm will defend political operative and blogger Jeff Roe against a libel suit filed by St. Charles County Commissioner Joe Brazil. The post also noted Roe had filed suit against a St. Charles County publication.

June 19- The background of former State Representative Ken Legan, the man appointed by Governor Matt Blunt to the Missouri Ethics Commission, was explored.

June 19- Information from a resume posted on the Internet by Governor Matt Blunt's appointment as Director of the Office of Supplier and Workplace Diversity was featured.

June 19- Rep. Maynard Wallace, R-Thornfield, who said he believes the school start bill did not go far enough, has a track record of receiving campaign contributions from Branson tourism interests.

June 19- Angeletta McCormick Franks, Governor Blunt's appointment as director of the Office of Supplier and Workplace Diversity, is a defendant in a federal lawsuit for actions she took when she was on the St. Louis Election Board.

June 18- Sandra Thomas, the unsuccessful candidate for state auditor in 2006, has set up a campaign committee for another run in 2010, with Joplin CPA Nick Myers again serving as treasurer.

June 18- Former Representative Ken Legan, the man appointed by Governor Blunt to fill a vacancy on the Missouri Ethics Commission, was a magnet for lobbyists' handouts when he in the House.

June 16- Perennial candidate Martin Lindstedt, awaiting trial on statutory sodomy charges, filed a lawsuit against Newton County Circuit Court judges, Sheriff Ken Copeland, and the Missouri Department of Mental Health.

June 16- This post uncovered more criminal charges against Robin Deardorff, a woman who worked for the Missouri Department of Social Services for months and was only fired the week she was indicted on federal fraud charges.

June 14- The woman who organized alleged shell companies for indicted Carthage brothers Brian and Mark Ellefsen, had taken the Fifth before a federal grand jury investigating a tax fraud scheme.

June 14- A five-minute Case.net check uncovered enough information to have kept Robin Deardorff, indicted for fraud by a federal grand jury, from ever being hired by the Missouri Department of Social Services.

June 13- Convicted hospital embezzler Kim Schlup's payment review was postponed for a ninth time.

June 11- Voucher proponents are pouring money into Governor Matt Blunt's campaign fund.

June 10- Rep. Ron Richard, R-Joplin, has a good start on his campaign for Speaker of the House, donating $50,000 to the House Republican Campaign Committee.

June 8- The appointment of voucher proponent Derio Gambaro to the State Board of Education was not the first successful effort by Gov. Matt Blunt to put a pro-voucher spin on the board. This post examined the record of Debi Demien of Wentzville, Blunt's first appointment to the board.

June 5- In her response to a federal lawsuit, Director of Revenue Trish Vincent denied her office is violating drivers' privacy by allowing a marketing firm to include advertising in driver's license renewal notices.

June 4- Michael Spreng, D-Florissant, topped The Turner Report Missouri House of Representatives Hall of Shame for most gifts received from lobbyists, including $1,020 from AT&T lobbyist Craig Felzien.

June 3- Turnpike Killer Paul Murray will be released from prison on Oct. 21. Murray was responsible for the 1994 murder of Sheila Mayfield of Jasper.

June 3- Joplin City Manager Mark Rohr's libel suit against a Piqua,Ohio, businessman was settled.

June 1- Longtime Leggett & Platt official Felix Wright left his executive position.

Guilty plea entered in fraud, identity theft case

Former Missouri Department of Revenue employee Krystal Gail Stephens pleaded guilty in U. S. District Court in Jefferson City on a charge of conspiracy to defraud in an identity theft/fraud case that also involved a worker from the Missouri Department of Social Services and another Department of Revenue employee.

According to court records, Ms. Stephens had access to identification information of customers of the Revenue Department's Division of Taxation, and passed it along to Robin Deardorff, who used the information to set up cell phone accounts for her prisoner husband. Mrs. Deardorff was working for the Department of Revenue when she was indicted by a federal grand jury.

Former Department of Revenue employee to plead guilty in identity theft case

A change of plea hearing is scheduled for a former Missouri Department of Revenue employee charged with conspiracy to defraud in an identity theft/fraud case that also involved a worker from the Missouri Department of Social Services and another Department of Revenue employee.

A notice filed with U. S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri indicates Krystal Gail Stephens will change her plea during a 9 a.m. Monday, Oct. 22, hearing in Jefferson City.

Ms. Stephens had access to identification information of customers of the Revenue Department's Division of Taxation, and passed it along to Robin Deardorff, who used the information to set up cell phone accounts for her prisoner husband. Mrs. Deardorff was working for the Department of Revenue when she was indicted by a federal grand jury.

More information about the case and links to other Turner Report posts on this case can be found at this link.

Former Department of Social Services employee placed on probation

A former Department of Social Services employee who used her job to access personal information about Missourians to open cell phone accounts for her prisoner husband and his jailhouse friends, received three years of probation today during a sentencing hearing in federal court in Jefferson City.

Robin Lynette Deardorff was sentenced to 12 months on one count and two years on three other counts, then placed on probation, with the requirement that she pay back $161,224.52 and pay a special assessment of $400.

Ms. Deardorff, 31, Jefferson City, was indicted by a federal grand jury June 1, 2007, for a fraud scheme in which she and six others allegedly used Social Security numbers, names and birth dates to set up cell phone and landline phone service to help prisoners make calls through the accounts. She was charged with fraud and identity theft.

As you might recall, though only if you read The Turner Report since this story has been shamefully neglected by the traditional media, Ms. Deardorff was hired by the Department of Social Services and given unfettered access to personal information about Missourians despite the fact that she had been convicted of numerous crimes, including two charges of stealing and one of endangering the welfare of a child. Department officials said it takes months to do a thorough background check. I uncovered the information in about 10 minutes and I am sure they have access to case.net, as well as many other sources through which at least a quick cursory background check could be made.

Are things any different now? Are background checks being conducted before people are given access to valuable personal information? Did anyone at least receive a reprimand for allowing Ms. Deardorff to be hired.

And let's not forget, two other defendants in this case were state government employees. How did they slip through the cracks?

Pre-sentencing investigation ordered for former Department of Social Services employee

A federal judge on Thursday ordered a pre-sentencing investigation for a former Missouri Department of Social Services employee who pleaded guilty Dec. 5 to four counts of fraud and identity theft.
Judge William A. Knox accepted the guilty pleas of the final two defendants in the case, Robin Lynette Deardorff and Anna May Stephens.
Ms. Deardorff, 31, Jefferson City, was indicted by a federal grand jury June 1 for a
fraud scheme in which she and six others allegedly used Social Security numbers, names and birth dates to set up cell phone andlandline phone service to help prisoners make calls through the accounts. She faces one charge of fraud and four counts of identity theft.

At the time she was indicted, Mrs. Deardorff worked for the Family Support Division of the Department of Social Services.

Former Department of Social Services employee to plead guilty to identity theft charge today

The story seems to have fallen off the map as far as the news media is concerned, but former Department of Social Services employee Robin Lynette Deardorff is scheduled to plead guilty to identity fraud charges today in U. S. District Court in Jefferson City.
Ms. Deardorff, you may remember, was involved in a scheme in which she and a group which included two former employees of the Missouri Department of Revenue stole personal, private information from taxpayers, and then used it to establish credit card accounts, which were used to buy cellphones for prisoners, including Mrs. Deardorff's husband.
The guilty plea entered Tuesday by Anna Stephens and today's guilty plea will close the case.
When the indictments were initially announced, this story was all over the media, but subsequent developments have not been followed at all, as far as I can determine. As I noted in earlier posts, this case has pointed out dramatic flaws in the way our state agencies research those whom they would hire to deal with personal, private information.
Unfortunately, it appears our traditional media has failed to do the follow-up to keep the heat up on these agencies to make sure they improve their hiring practices so nothing like this can happen again.