Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey issued a warning to those living and working in these senior facilities to be on the lookout for the thieves, who have been stealing credit cards out of apartments and rooms of residents.
The ring of male thieves - who present themselves as women - enter the facilities wearing medical scrubs, making it more likely they will "fit in," Morrissey said. "Thieves use all kinds of disguises to commit crimes. They can be very clever and cunning," Morrissey said.
He said they enter the elderly residents' rooms when they are away for meals or activities and take credit cards.
The thieves use the credit cards to purchase clothing and gift cards at large retail businesses including WalMart and KMart. One of the suspects has been arrested and one is still being sought. The 20 cases in the metro area were reported between April and Sept. 11, with losses estimated to be in the range of $50,000 to $100,000.
Markinious Ketrell Hartfield, 28, was arrested this week in Colorado Springs and is out on bond. Hartfield was convicted of similar crimes in 2006 in Louisiana. The second suspect is believed to be a black man who presents himself as a woman, is between 20 and 30 years old, and weighs approximately 95 pounds. Colorado Springs police identified him as Aisha Kiko Howard and said he had a "transvestite/transgender facial appearance."
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