ST. LOUIS – The gritty streets of Franklin County saw a justice served as U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk sentenced Matthew Cahill, 41, to 23 months in prison for his involvement in a sordid scheme of mail theft and fraud.
Cahill, along with co-conspirators, engaged in an operation that targeted the personal and business checks, bank account details, and personally identifying information of countless victims. They pilfered outgoing or delivered mail from mailboxes, homes, and vehicles, altering the checks or creating counterfeits before using them at retail stores, depositing them, or cashing them out.
But it didn’t end there. Cahill also accessed a victim’s account electronically, sending unauthorized online ACH payments to his associate, pushing the scheme’s total loss to an actual and intended $67,807.
Judge Pitlyk wasn’t done yet. She ordered Cahill to pay restitution of $30,737, emphasizing that individuals who engage in mail theft will be held accountable for their actions. The Inspection Service, led by Inspector in Charge Ruth Mendonça, was proud to work alongside local, state, and federal partners to bring this crime syndicate to justice and protect the citizens.
But Cahill wasn’t alone. Donald Anderson, 36, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and three counts of bank fraud, receiving a sentence of 24 months in prison and five years of supervised release, along with $26,527 in restitution. Joshua Hopkins, 36, was sentenced to 24 months for two counts of bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft, plus three years of supervised release and $1,395 in restitution. Harvey Hale, 48, faced a similar fate, receiving 12 months for conspiracy and two counts of bank fraud, with three years of supervised release and $19,550 in restitution.
Investigating this case were the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and the police departments in Washington, Union, Eureka, St. Clair, and St. Charles cities – a force too strong for such fraudulent endeavors.
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Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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