These women are accused of using a stolen vehicle to make fraudulent purchases

A Centre County woman and a Lycoming County woman face theft charges in Centre County stemming from an investigation that began in November.

According to separate criminal complaints filed by state police at Rockview, troopers responded to Millheim on Nov. 5 for a report of stolen items. A female resident reported leaving her purse unattended in her car outside of her residence for about 30 minutes.

On returning to her car, police said, she found her purse was missing. Included in the missing items were three credit cards.

The next day, the woman reported that she had been contacted by one of the credit card companies and informed that her card had been used at the North Atherton Street Walmart and had been declined. Surveillance footage reportedly showed two females using the card, attempting to make a purchase of about $107.

The women were identified on Nov. 14 as Brooke L. Wingard, 22, of Spring Mills, and Annika A. Ringler, 33, of Muncy, police said.

Surveillance footage obtained from a local Sheetz on Jan. 25 also showed the women arriving in a green Saturn, police said. One of the stolen credit cards was allegedly used to make a $24 purchase before they left the area.

Troopers were dispatched Jan. 29 to Homan’s General Store in Spring Mills for a report of an abandoned vehicle, police said. The vehicle, which had been listed as stolen from Coburn on Nov. 10, matched the vehicle driven by Wingard and Ringler to Sheetz.

Wingard was interviewed at her residence on Jan. 30, police said, and admitted to knowing the credit cards were stolen and used for purchases. She also reportedly admitted she drove the vehicle during the incidents, leaving it at the general store.

Wingard was arraigned Friday before District Judge Kelley Gillette-Walker, according to court documents, and was charged with a felony count of receiving stolen property and misdemeanor charges of conspiracy to commit identity theft, conspiracy to commit access device fraud, conspiracy to receive stolen property and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Straight monetary bail was set at $100,000 and she was take to the Centre County Correctional Facility.

Ringler was charged with a felony count of conspiracy to receive stolen property and misdemeanor counts of conspiracy unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, access device fraud, identity theft and receiving stolen property. She remains in custody at Muncy state prison.

This story was originally published February 5, 2018 at 12:36 PM with the headline "These women are accused of using a stolen vehicle to make fraudulent purchases."