ID Theft Ring Busted in St. Louis Area

St. Louis, MO – In a shocking turn of events, a trio of Franklin County, Missouri, residents has been brought to justice for their involvement in a conspiracy to commit identity theft and access device fraud in the Eastern District of Missouri.

According to court documents, John Dean Townsend, a former employee at an automotive dealership in St. Louis County, stole the personal identification information of his customers and sold it to Jessica L. Franklin in exchange for methamphetamine and U.S. currency. Franklin used the stolen information to manufacture fraudulent Missouri Department of Revenue temporary driver’s licenses, which she and Jesse Ray Chitwood used to open lines of credit and purchase merchandise throughout the Eastern District of Missouri.

Franklin, a resident of Beaufort, MO, pleaded guilty in October 2016 to one count of conspiracy to commit identity theft and one count of aggravated identity theft. She was subsequently sentenced in January 2017 to 45 months in the Bureau of Prisons.

Chitwood, a resident of St. Clair, MO, also pleaded guilty in September 2016 to one count of conspiracy to commit identity theft. He was sentenced in January 2017 to 24 months in the Bureau of Prisons.

Townsend, a resident of Pacific, MO, was sentenced today to 13 months on one felony count of conspiracy to commit identity theft and access device fraud. All three defendants appeared before United States District Judge John A. Ross.

The case was investigated by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office; the Washington, Missouri, Police Department; the Ballwin Police Department and the Kirkwood Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Roy handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The sentencing of these three individuals serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of identity theft and access device fraud. As we continue to navigate the complexities of modern technology, it is more important than ever that we remain vigilant in our efforts to prevent and prosecute these types of crimes.