MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A human services worker, fired for identity theft, has been charged with burglary and theft after returning to her former workplace, stealing office equipment and accessing the private information of almost 800 daycare providers, according to the Anoka County Attorney’s office.
On the evening of July 9, 2013, 53-year-old Jan Michelle Gray gained access to the fourth floor of the Anoka County Human Services Building in Blaine by telling a custodian that she forgot her badge, according to a criminal complaint.
The next day, several employees noticed that their chairs were adjusted and desk drawers were rifled through. Several items were missing, including a $500 office chair, a network cable, two sweaters, vitamin bottles, a book stand, some cash and small change, an iPod docking station and three-ring binders that used to belong to Gray.
Employees also noticed that several cabinet keys were missing, which could be used to access names, addresses, social security numbers, bank account and routing numbers of 793 daycare providers.
Gray initially denied returning to her former workplace when Blaine Police came to her home in Champlin, but she changed her story after officers told her she was picked out of a photo line-up by the custodian who gave her access.
She admitted going back to the human services building to get a box of her belongings, but claimed she no longer had the box, she didn’t steal anything and she was never fired.
Gray is charged with second- and third-degree burglary and one count of theft.
Anoka County Human Services contacted all of the day care providers last summer to alert them of the potential identity theft.
