Town of Sheboygan Falls, WI (WHBL) - An investigation into the theft of a wallet from a coworker’s purse has landed a Sheboygan man behind bars facing multiple identity theft charges. At least three victims are linked to 29-year-old Jacob Sova’s alleged crime spree.
Sova’s deeds became unraveled on Sunday, October 25, 2015 when a worker at Johnsonville reported to Sheboygan County Sheriff’s deputies that her wallet was stolen from her purse. The woman says she accidentally left the purse on the floor of the break room after her second shift lunch break, and returned for it later. But, it wasn’t until the woman stopped at a gas station to purchase items for work that she realized her wallet was missing.
A criminal complaint filed in Sheboygan County court says Sheriff’s deputies immediately reviewed surveillance video of the break room area which reportedly shows Sova rummaging through the woman’s purse, removing items, then placing those items into his backpack.
The next day, deputies learned that a second worker at Johnsonville had also fallen victim to having her wallet stolen. She told deputies more than $1000 was charged to her credit card as a result.
Deputies met Sova at the beginning of his scheduled work shift on Monday, October 26th, and questioned him about the two wallets that were stolen. Sova allegedly admitted to stealing the second victim’s wallet and says he purchased a PlayStation 4 and Xbox One with her credit card. Sova says he intended to sell the items because he is homeless with no money and has a child on the way, according to the complaint.
Deputies asked Sova where the wallet was located. He responded that he tossed the wallet out of a window while riding home on the previous night.
Then, a search of Sova’s backpack turned up the credit card of his first victim which reportedly had racked up charges from Best Buy. Sova told detectives that he forgot about having that credit card.
A search warrant was executed on Sova’s Geele Avenue residence. Even more stolen items turned up there including more driver’s licenses, a Social Security card and a UPS package that was reported stolen back in June.
Sova says he found those items. But deputies charged him with receiving stolen property.
Altogether Sova is facing two counts of identity theft, three counts of misdemeanor theft and one count of receiving stolen property. He could face more than 10 years in prison on the combined charges, if convicted.