Butler Township police charged a New Castle woman with identity theft after she removed thousands of dollars from an elderly woman’s bank account using information compromised during a theft from a U.S. post office box in Pittsburgh.

Cheryl L. Rice, 53, was charged with felonies identity theft, theft, access device fraud and forgery after a bank teller reported the faulty transaction Jan. 12.

According to charging documents, a 73-year-old woman from Dormont was informed by Northwest Savings Bank in Butler Township that an unknown woman, later identified as Rice, used a fake ID and attempted to withdraw $4,500 from her checking account.

The teller also said $6,500 was successfully withdrawn from the checking account at a Northwest Savings location in Grove City.

Police said the teller from Northwest Savings Bank in Butler Township disclosed during the attempted transaction that Rice used a credit card bearing the 73-year-old woman’s name as a second form of ID. Rice was unable to answer the security questions the teller asked, police said, and left the bank.

Rice left the false ID in the bank, which police said displayed Rice’s picture, and the 73-year-old woman’s name, address and date of birth. Police said the signatures on Rice’s falsified documentation and the 73-year-old woman’s PennDOT information also did not match.

Police identified Rice using her photograph on the false ID and surveillance footage from the Northwest Savings Bank locations.

During the course of the investigation, police said it was discovered the 73-year-old woman’s information was obtained when a U.S. post office box was broken into in December. Investigators indicated they are working with postal investigators to determine who broke into the box.