ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Friday, 04/12/2024, sentenced Gabrielle Borthwick, 23, to 66 months in prison for using the stolen identities of others to attempt to deposit $2.7 million in fraudulent and stolen checks.
Borthwick, a native of Australia, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in September to 12 felonies: six counts of financial institution fraud and six counts of aggravated identity theft.
In total, Borthwick admitted depositing checks at multiple Missouri banks and credit unions and at one bank in Illinois totaling $2.7 million. Bank officials thwarted her attempts to open some accounts or deposit some of the bogus checks. She fraudulently obtained $271,667. One of those checks, in the amount of $30,000, had been stolen from the mail.
Judge Schelp ordered Borthwick to repay the money. Borthwick fraudulently used the names, birthdates, and Social Security numbers of multiple people, as well as counterfeit out-of-state driver’s licenses, to open the accounts. She sometimes claimed to run a wedding planning business to allay bank officials’ suspicions about the size of the checks.
Borthwick tried to cover up her tattoos and distinguishing characteristics by wearing clothing and bandages. She supplied fake utility and phone bills to support her claims that she had recently moved to Missouri. Bank officials thwarted her attempts to open some accounts or deposit some of the bogus checks.
Borthwick was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and police departments in Eureka, O’Fallon, Union in Missouri and Edwardsville in Illinois. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Ladendorf prosecuted the case.
Defendant: Gabrielle Borthwick
Criminal Charges: Six counts of financial institution fraud and six counts of aggravated identity theft
City and State: St. Louis, Missouri
Exact Date: 04/12/2024
Sentence: 66 months in prison
Dollar Amount: $2.7 million
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Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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