Additional charges filed against accused credit card thieves at U-M

By Kyle Feldscher Crime and courts reporter

Posted on Fri, Apr 13, 2012 : 1:15 p.m.

Two men accused of stealing credit cards from unattended wallets, purses and backpacks at the University of Michigan have been arraigned on felony charges.

Jason Russ

Courtesy of state of Michigan

Todd Wilson, 42, and Jason Russ, 41, are said to be a crime duo that worked together to steal unattended items from university students and staff, U-M Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Diane Brown said. Both men were arraigned on multiple felonies Thursday.

"They were good captures by our guys," Brown said.

Russ, who was charged in mid-March in four cases, faces two additional charges each of possession or control of another’s financial transaction device with intent to use, deliver, circulate or sell; and stealing, taking or removing a financial transaction device; possession of fraudulent or altered financial transaction device and one additional charge of larceny in a building, according to court records.

The charges stem from an incident between 3:30 and 4 p.m. on March 2 in the Samuel Trask Dana Building, 440 Church St. Police said Russ stole a wallet from an unlocked office and then made unauthorized charges on a credit card before the owner could cancel it.

Russ has a lengthy criminal history. He has previous convictions for larceny in a building in 2011; assaulting, resisting or obstructing a police officer; attempting to disarm a peace officer of a firearm; unlawfully driving away an automobile in 2008; unlawfully driving away an automobile; and second-degree home invasion in 2004 and a conviction for receiving or concealing stolen property worth more than $1,000 but less than $20,000. He went on parole on Nov. 17, but is now being held in the Washtenaw County Jail.

Wilson, also known as Carlton Cross, is said to be Russ’ accomplice in many of the larcenies involving credit cards on campus in 2012, Brown said.

Todd Wilson

Courtesy of the state of Michigan

He was arraigned Thursday on two counts of larceny in a building and three counts each of possession or control of another’s financial transaction device with intent to use, deliver, circulate or sell; and stealing, taking or removing financial transaction device; possession of fraudulent or altered financial transaction device, according to court records.

The charges stem from an incident between 12:45 and 1:30 p.m. on March 5 in the Literature, Science and Arts Building, 500 S. State St. According to police, a wallet was taken from a purse that was left unattended in a fifth-floor office and charges were made to a credit card before it was canceled.

Wilson also has an extensive criminal history, with 15 known aliases, and he’s considered a parole absconder, according to state records. He has convictions for third-degree home invasion in 2010, first-degree home invasion in 2009, breaking and entering a vehicle to steal property more than $200 but less than $1,000 in 1990 and breaking and entering an occupied building with intent to commit a crime in 1989.

Both men are being held at the Washtenaw County Jail on a $5,000 cash or surety bond. Preliminary exams are scheduled for both men at 8:30 a.m. April 19.