Two women who led a fraud ring that targeted four credit unions,eight banks and other businesses throughout the Denver metro areafor more than a year were indicted on March 5.

The Denver District Attorney's office said a grand jury returnedan 81-count indictment that accused eight people of identity theft,forgery, theft and numerous other felony crimes. The indictmentlists 35 victims of identity theft, losses totaling $49,000 and theattempted theft of an additional $11,000. Denver prosecutorsalleged the fraud ring stole checks from mailboxes and passedcounterfeit and forged checks. In numerous instances, members ofthe fraud ring also committed identify theft.

Lynn Kimbrough, a spokesperson for the Denver DA's office, saidtwo women, Quinetta Hunter, 32, and Tasha Phillips, 38, were theleaders of the fraud ring. They were charged with violating theColorado Organized Crime Control Act, conspiracy to commit identifytheft, conspiracy to commit forgery and other felonies.