So, imagine this – Zachariah Rasch, a man from Wisconsin, was recently arrested after authorities caught wind of him using his missing wife Crystal Rasch’s credit cards to purchase a bunch of cleaning supplies. Yep, you heard that right – cleaning supplies!
Now, it’s not just any old cleaning supplies that Zachariah was buying. Oh no, he went all out and bought gloves, stain remover, carpet cleaner, and even drain cleaner using Crytal’s credit cards. Talk about suspicious, right? I mean, who goes on a shopping spree for cleaning supplies, especially when their wife is missing?
In total, Dodge County cops said the purchases added up to over $6,500 – all made in different stores miles apart.
Airing the update Friday, authorities added how they tracked Crystal’s cellphone to nearby Adams County, where Rasch‘s family owns the property. An ensuing search turned up his car, which they said has significant evidentiary value.
The car is being processed at the state crime lab in Madison, as cops said they are still treating the case like that of a missing person.
‘The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to the investigation into the disappearance of Crystal Rasch and has dedicated every available resource to locating her,’ their statement read.
‘As part of the investigation, earlier this week, investigators were able to look into the financials of Crystal.
‘We found that numerous transactions had taken place using her 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 village of Clyman, was responsible for the transactions.
‘They were processed without consent,’ cops said.
Security footage obtained by investigators further revealed how Rasch was alone when he made the purchases – all with Crystal’s credit cards.
All were made after her family says they last saw her on June 11, along with multiple cash withdrawals as well, a criminal complaint said.
She was reported missing by her stepmother, who contacted cops on June 23 after finding her car at the aforementioned residence with no explanation from her suspect son.
She told officers how she was unable to reach Crystal by phone, sparking a now week-long search into the woman’s whereabouts.
Family members have since come forward to claim they’ve received suspicious message’s from the woman’s Facebook account, which, based on the language and tone used, appeared to not be her.
That development was detailed in the criminal complaint that’s been filed against Rasch, which frames him as a 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, the complaint said.
Investigators later uncovered the financial records showing the suspicious transactions, which were then confirmed by surveillance clips.
All were made on Crystal’s credit and debit card in the days after she was last seen.
After being pressed about the purchases, Rasch eventually owned up to lying, cops said – describing how he confessed to making numerous unauthorized purchases using her account.
A subsequent search warrant of Rasch’s residence turned up $1,800 in cash from a dresser drawer and $1,345 from a wallet, police said in the criminal complaint filed with the Dodge County Circuit Court.
But one thing is for sure – Zachariah Rasch is in some hot water now. Let this be a lesson to all you would-be criminals out there – using a missing person’s credit cards for cleaning supplies is probably not the best idea. And Zachariah, if you’re reading this from your jail cell, maybe it’s time to come clean about what happened to Crystal. Just a thought.
