Kenneth Edwards, 42, Indicted for Wire Fraud Scheme

A St. Louis man has been indicted on federal charges for a scheme to use counterfeit checks to make purchases at local retailers.

Kenneth Edwards, a 42-year-old resident of St. Louis City, was indicted on August 17th by a federal grand jury on three felony counts of wire fraud and one felony count of aggravated identity theft.

According to the indictment, Edwards used a stolen account number and routing number to purchase valuable goods from retail stores using forged or counterfeit checks from August to December 2015. Edwards allegedly obtained a checkbook, identification and other information after it was stolen from a victim on August 2015.

Edwards made his initial appearance in federal court on September 8th. If convicted, wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000. Aggravated identity theft carries two years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000.

The case was investigated by the Maplewood Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Tom Albus is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

As is always the case, charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Kenneth Edwards, a St. Louis resident, has been accused of using counterfeit checks to make purchases at local retailers.

This case serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting personal information and being vigilant in the face of identity theft.