Man Accused of Stealing from Brookfield Friend He Met in Prison

A Richland Center man stole a debit card from a Brookfield man he had befriended in prison, and used it to get $500 from the Walmart in Waukesha.

William Lynch, 36, was charged in Waukesha County Circuit Court with two counts of identity theft. If convicted, he faces up to 12 years in prison and $20,000 in fines.

According to the criminal complaint:

On April 13, Brookfield police officers were called to a home in the 500 block of Meadow Court after a man there reported Lynch used his debit card without his permission. The man said he met Lynch while they were inmates in prison and had kept contact with him since getting released in January 2011.

The man told police he had been with Lynch on April 12, agreeing to write Lynch a check for $500 when Lynch said he needed money.

Lynch took the man’s debit card and said he needed the PIN number so he could put money into the account. Later Lynch said he no longer had the card and the two went to Walmart in Waukesha to get groceries.

While the man was in line waiting to pay, Lynch said he needed to get money from the ATM. He withdrew money and the two drove back to the victim’s home in Brookfield. They began looking for the debit card, which Lynch found by a couch.

The next day, the victim discovered $506 missing from his bank account. Surveillance footage from the store showed Lynch using the card in the ATM machine.

A warrant has been issued for Lynch's arrest.