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Woman pleads guilty to credit card fraud

MADISON — A woman who fled police at 100 mph then set her car on fire on Interstate 90/39 in Janesville pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to credit card fraud involving more than $25,000 in illegally obtained cash advances from casinos.

Leah M. Pospisil, 29, was a fugitive on federal charges Sept. 26 when Edgerton and Milton police were dispatched to Pospisil’s parents’ home in Milton in response to a report that Pospisil was threatening her family with a gas can.

Pospisil fled the residence and later was seen by police driving in Janesville. The resulting pursuit led onto the Interstate. The chase ended with police tackling Pospisil after she drenched her car and herself with gasoline and ran along the highway.

The U.S. Secret Service had been looking for Pospisil, who was charged in federal court in Missouri in 2009 with fraudulent use of credit cards, Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Graber said. The indictment alleged Pospisil, often using the name Loren Fry, teamed up with at least two men and used stolen credit card numbers and forged driver’s licenses to obtain cash advances at casinos in several states.

Beginning in September 2007, Pospisil obtained several thousand dollars in cash advances at casinos in Louisiana, Mississippi, Michigan and Illinois, according to an affidavit filed in court by a Missouri highway patrol officer. In December 2007, Pospisil was arrested in Aurora, Ill., on suspicion of using a stolen credit card. She pleaded guilty to identity theft.

After her arrest, Pospisil continued to use stolen credit card numbers in 15 fraudulent transactions totaling $12,500 in Mississippi and Missouri between Jan. 30 and Feb. 24, 2008, according to the affidavit.

In court on Tuesday, Pospisil told District Judge Barbara Crabb that she took credit cards and fake identification cards into casinos to obtain money.

“I didn’t know how severe a crime it was, but I knew it was a crime,” she said.

Defense attorney Jack Hoag told Crabb that Pospisil was “recruited by others to do this, and much of the money obtained was given to another person.”

Pospisil remains in federal custody pending her May 11 sentencing. She faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, three years supervised release and restitution. The amount owed remains to be determined, Graber said.

In December, Pospisil was placed on five years’ probation in Rock County Court after being convicted of arson in connection with the car fire. She received five days in jail after pleading no contest to reckless driving.

Graber said one of Pospisil’s co-defendants has been sentenced in federal court in Missouri in connection with the credit card fraud scheme.