Ex-inmate accused of taking church group IDs

DES MOINES (AP) ?A church congregation made up Iowa Correctional Institute for Women inmates says a former prisoner has stolen the personal information of 40 of the group?s volunteers.

Women at the Well United Methodist Church officials tell the Des Moines Register 37-year-old Shelly Bridges obtained volunteers? Social Security numbers, birth dates and other information while working for the organization.

The church says Bridges used the information to obtain credit cards in the victims? names.

While Bridges was in prison before her 2007 release, she held a leadership role in the congregation. Upon release, the group hired her as an administrative assistant, but that ended in 2008 when she returned to prison.

Originally charged with 40 counts of identity theft, prosecutors have since charged Bridges with felony ongoing criminal conduct.