Woman admits to GNP thefts

A Whitefish woman admitted last week that she stole people’s wallets and credit cards from Glacier National Park last year.

Carol Elizabeth Rockafellow, 49, pleaded guilty in Flathead District Court to two felony counts of deceptive practices, as part of a plea agreement in which a felony forgery charge was dropped. She did agree to pay restitution for the forgery charge, plus restitution for a pending misdemeanor theft charge that was also dropped.

According to court documents, Rockafellow was caught on camera at a Target store using a credit card that had been stolen from Craggy Range Bar and Grill on Oct. 17, 2015. She made $800 in unauthorized purchases.

Two days later, two women reported their purses had been stolen from their vehicles in Glacier National Park. One of the women suffered a $1,100 loss when Rockafellow used two credit cards to make five purchases. Rockafellow also was caught on camera writing a $1,500 check to Costco from the account of one of the theft victims.

Rockafellow was arrested on Nov. 3, 2015, in Orono, Minnesota, and items belonging to the victims were found in her possession. At that time she was convicted of unlawful financial transactions in Minnesota. A Costco card and AAA card belonging to two of the victims in the Flathead Valley were found in her possession.

Rockafellow is also on felony probation for a 2014 felony deceptive practices conviction.

Rockafellow will be sentenced Jan. 26.