Two women who led a fraud ring that targeted four credit unions, eight banks and other businesses throughout the Denver metro area for more than a year were indicted on March 5.

The Denver District Attorney's office said a grand jury returned an 81-count indictment that accused eight people of identity theft, forgery, theft and numerous other felony crimes. The indictment lists 35 victims of identity theft, losses totaling $49,000 and the attempted theft of an additional $11,000. Denver prosecutors alleged the fraud ring stole checks from mailboxes and passed counterfeit and forged checks. In numerous instances, members of the fraud ring also committed identify theft.

Lynn Kimbrough, a spokesperson for the Denver DA's office, said two women, Quinetta Hunter, 32, and Tasha Phillips, 38, were the leaders of the fraud ring. They were charged with violating the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act, conspiracy to commit identify theft, conspiracy to commit forgery and other felonies.

The DA's office said Hunter and Phillips allegedly violated the state's organized crime control act because they participated in a criminal enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity for their own benefit.

The ring targeted financial institutions including the $281 million Partner Colorado Credit Union in Arvada, the $2.7 billion Bellco Credit Union in Greenwood Village, the $1.2 billion Westerra Credit Union in Denver, the $1.4 billion Public Service Employees Credit Union in Denver, First Bank, Bank of the West, Collegiate Peaks Bank, Colorado State Bank and Trust, BBVA Compass Bank, JP Morgan Chase Bank, US Bank, Vectra Bank and Well Fargo Bank.

Six others charged with conspiracy to commit identity theft, conspiracy to commit forgery and theft were Ernest Daniels, Matrice Ford, Shaqweila Phillips, Tony Phillips, Tashena Reid and Destinee Segura, according to the indictment.