(La Porte County, IN) - Authorities are still searching for one of the suspects involved in a money laundering scheme involving the La Porte County Jail.

 

Dylnn Scott of Michigan City is the only suspect not currently in custody yet on charges related to credit cards stolen from customers at the Hardee’s restaurant in Michigan City.

 

The cards were used to insert funds into the accounts of inmates, who were then bonded out and traded much of the money in their accounts to the restaurant employees in exchange for bail.

 

La Porte County Police Chief of Detectives Andy Hynek said the Fugitive Apprehension Street Team is in the process of trying to locate the woman. Nine other suspects, including most of the bonded-out inmates, have been arrested and now face Fraud charges, among others.

 

Hynek said Scott is an acquaintance of at least one of the Hardee’s employees.

 

“I’m not sure how deep their friendship was,” he said.

 

According to court documents, Kristin Vanschoyck, 35, Darrien Ward, 20, and Prince Arnold, 21, were employed at Hardee's in Michigan City.

 

In August and September, Vanschoyck allegedly photographed and videotaped the numbers of credit/debit cards from drive-thru customers at the restaurant on 5223 Franklin Street. She then gave the numbers to Ward and Arnold, who used them to purchase clothing online and place anywhere from $1,000 to $4,000 into the jail accounts of several inmates.

 

The accounts are for inmates to purchase food and other items from the commissary.

 

Scott is accused of showing up at the jail and posting bonds for the inmates in cash.

 

Before being released, Hynek said each inmate was issued a debit card to use on the outside for tapping into the money from their jail accounts, which is standard procedure for all offenders making bail. Right away, the inmates were taken to an ATM to use the cards for withdrawals from their jail accounts as part of their cut for taking part in the scheme. The inmates then gave the cards to the Hardee's employees, who used them to tap into the funds still left in their jail accounts.

 

“So, basically, they laundered money through the jail system. They put fraudulent money in and got clean money out,” Hynek said.

 

Police said the victims are in the process of having their banks return the funds to their respective accounts.