St. Louis, MO - SUSAN HAMPE of St Louis County, Missouri, was indicted for mail fraud as part of a scheme to defraud her sister and co-trustee in connection with the sale of family real estate.
According to the indictment, Hampe falsely represented herself to be the sole trustee and beneficiary of a trust containing the home of her deceased mother in St. Louis County. Upon sale of the property, Hampe is alleged to have taken all the proceeds for herself and used them to pay $60,000 in criminal restitution she owed in a 2011 case involving her embezzlement from an ex-employer.
Hampe was indicted by a federal grand jury late Wednesday on one felony count of mail fraud.
If convicted, mail fraud carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000. In determining the actual sentence, a Judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. 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.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
