John Dean Townsend, Identity Theft, Missouri 2024

Identity Thief Sentenced in Missouri

In a shocking turn of events, John Dean Townsend, a resident of Pacific, Missouri, has been sentenced to 13 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to commit identity theft and access device fraud in the Eastern District of Missouri.

According to court documents, Townsend stole the personal identification information of his customers while he was employed at an automotive dealership located in St. Louis County and sold the information to Jessica L. Franklin in exchange for quantities of methamphetamine and U.S. currency.

Franklin, a resident of Beaufort, Missouri, used the stolen identification 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 at various retailers throughout the Eastern District of Missouri.

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

Franklin, on the other hand, pleaded guilty in October 2016 to one count of conspiracy to commit identity theft and one count of aggravated identity theft. She was sentenced in January 2017 to 45 months in the Bureau of Prisons.

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.

Townsend’s sentencing is a major blow to the identity theft ring, and it highlights the need for vigilance when it comes to protecting our personal identification information.

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