ST. LOUIS – A brazen scheme to steal mail, checks, and personal information from unsuspecting victims in Warren County, Missouri, has come to an end, with four individuals pleading guilty to federal charges.
At the center of the scheme is Elijah Briggs, 42, a contractor who admitted to stealing U.S. mail from mailboxes and blank checks from homes. Briggs used the stolen checks to access a couple’s online bank account in 2019 and transferred funds to a PayPal account and accounts in the names of other victims of identity theft. He also stole a check from the couple’s neighbor’s mailbox and deposited the altered check, causing a loss of $1,264.
Briggs’ scheme involved creating fraudulent checks, which he used to fund his own lavish lifestyle. He was caught with stolen mail belonging to dozens of people, over 30 stolen debit or credit cards, and over 100 checks in the names of other people. The total dollar amount on the stolen or fraudulent checks was $116,279. A notebook containing the names and personally identifiable information of several other people was also seized from Briggs’ possession.
Briggs also stole and used a credit card from the home of his employer’s client in 2021, and then tried to cash his payroll check multiple times. He created fraudulent checks that were deposited by co-conspirators Jessica Kirkpatrick, 44, Reuben Kim, 36, and Holly Naylor, 41. Kirkpatrick, Naylor, and Kim admitted to cashing the fraudulent checks in their guilty pleas.
According to court documents, Briggs’ laptop contained images of fraudulent checks totaling $35,098. In October 2021, St. Charles Police Department officers stopped Briggs and found drugs, blank check paper, and stolen or fraudulent checks totaling $40,423.
Bank fraud is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine, or both prison and a fine. Each aggravated identity theft charge is punishable by two years in prison, consecutive to any other charge. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Warren County Sheriff’s Department, the St. Charles Police Department, the St. Peters Police Department, and the Wentzville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Klocke prosecuted the case.
Related Federal Cases
- Springfield Bandit Sentenced for Bank Heist and Hostage Taking · Missouri
- Terry L. Hager Pleads Guilty to $13,957 UMB Bank Heist · Kansas
- Joplin Robber Pleads Guilty to Bank Heist Attempt · Missouri
- Altoona First Savings Bank CEO Troy Campbell Named to FDIC Advisory Committee · Pennsylvania
- Jefferson City Bank Officer Indicted for Embezzling $410,000 · Missouri
Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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