The estranged husband of a missing Wisconsin woman was arrested this week, three weeks after her family last heard from her.
As a result, Zachariah Rasch, 42, faces charges of identity theft, after he used his missing spouse’s credit cards to purchase a large quantity of cleaning supplies such as gloves, stain removers, and carpet and drain cleaners in early of this month.
Each of the charges against Rasch accuses him of using Crystal Rasch’s debit card multiple times, with surveillance video linking him to the purchases.
In total, Dodge County deputies said the purchases totaled more than $6,500, all made at different stores miles apart.
In issuing the update Friday, authorities added how they tracked Crystal’s cellphone to nearby Adams County, where Rasch’s family owns property. A subsequent search found her car, which they said has significant evidentiary value.
Zachariah Rasch, 42, faces identity theft charges as a result, after using his missing spouse’s credit cards to purchase a large quantity of cleaning products such as gloves, stain removers, and carpet and drain cleaners earlier this year. month.
Each of the charges against Rasch accuses him of using Crystal Rasch’s debit card multiple times, and surveillance video links him to the purchases. The missing woman appears here
The car is being processed at the state crime lab in Madison, as police said they are still treating the case as a missing person.
“The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to the investigation into the disappearance of Crystal Rasch and has dedicated all available resources to locate her,” their statement read.
‘As part of the investigation, earlier this week, investigators were able to examine Crystal’s finances.
“We discovered that numerous transactions had been made using his financial accounts,” the office revealed.
A criminal complaint filed that morning explained how Crystal’s estranged husband, a man who currently resides in the rural town of Clyman, was responsible for the transactions.
“They were prosecuted without consent,” police said.
Security footage obtained by investigators also revealed how Rasch was alone when he made the purchases, all using Crystal’s credit cards.
It was all done after her family said they last saw her on June 11, along with multiple cash withdrawals, according to a criminal complaint.
The search is underway in the rural town of Clyman, where police said Rasch made a number of suspicious purchases using his wife’s credit cards before she was reported missing. A Douglas County sheriff’s deputy is seen here searching the town.
His stepmother reported him missing and contacted police on June 23 after finding his car at the aforementioned residence with no explanation from his suspected son.
She told officers she was unable to reach Crystal by phone, sparking a weeklong search for the woman’s whereabouts.
Relatives have since come forward to say they received suspicious messages from the woman’s Facebook account, which, based on the language and tone used, appeared not to be her.
That development was detailed in the criminal complaint filed against Rasch, which portrays him as an estranged husband with a history of harassing his spouse.
Upon learning this, authorities wrote how they questioned Rasch about her disappearance and whether he had had any recent contact with Crystal.
He denied having seen her, according to the complaint.
Investigators later discovered financial records showing the suspicious transactions, which were later confirmed by surveillance clips.
All payments were made using Crystal’s credit and debit card in the days after she was last seen.
Despite continuing to treat the investigation as a missing person case, police said they are also handling it “as a case where a serious crime has likely been committed.” Crystal, meanwhile, has yet to be found.
After being pressed about the purchases, Rasch eventually admitted to lying, cops said, describing how he confessed to making numerous unauthorized purchases using his account.
A subsequent search warrant of Rasch’s residence revealed $1,800 in cash from a dresser drawer and $1,345 from a wallet, police said in the criminal complaint filed in Dodge County Circuit Court.
Agents added how they were able to locate and trace two phone numbers belonging to Crystal, and the last known location of one of them was on June 8 near Juneau, which is located in Dodge County.
The other phone rang near Adams, where Rasch’s family lives, on June 17 and showed a call on June 10 from that same area.
Although they are still treating the investigation as a missing person case, police said they are also handling it “as a case where a felony has likely been committed.”
Meanwhile, Crystal has yet to be found. As for Rasch, he is being held in Dodge County Jail on $250,000 bail.