BENTON, Ill. -- An Oblong man and Robinson woman pleaded guilty on Thursday, August 4, 2022, to
breaking into cars, stealing checks and IDs from vehicles, and committing identity theft in order
to obtain thousands of dollars from local banks by fraud.
According to court documents, Zachary Patrick, 30, of Oblong, Illinois, and Briana Blair, 31, of
Robinson, Illinois, stole checks and personal identifying information from a series of victims,
often by breaking into the victims’ vehicles. Patrick and Blair then used the victims’ information
however they could, writing and depositing fraudulent checks, forging victims’ signatures, and
withdrawing and spending thousands of dollars as they traveled around eastern Illinois and western
Indiana. The pair even opened a bank account using one victim’s stolen information.
The pair was eventually caught in a hotel parking lot in Brazil, Indiana, breaking into yet another
vehicle. Patrick and Blair initially identified themselves to law enforcement using two of the
identities they had stolen, but eventually admitted to their true identities. Law enforcement
recovered a pile of stolen IDs, credit cards, and financial information after their arrest.
Both Patrick and Blair pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit financial institution
fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. They are scheduled to be sentenced on November
17, 2022, and face a mandatory minimum of two years in prison and a statutory maximum of as many as
32 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering
the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“All who have been victimized by identity theft and its related crimes understand just how serious
and far-reaching its consequences can be," said United States Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Along
with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, this office will continue to make
investigating and prosecuting these offenses a top priority. I thank the Federal Bureau of
Investigation-Springfield Field Office, the Oblong Police Department, the Clay County Sheriff’s
Office, and the other local law enforcement agencies involved for their work in investigating this
case."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter T. Reed is prosecuting the case.
