U. S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming | U.S. Department of Justice
A Florida man has admitted to stealing checks from church mailboxes in Missouri and Illinois. Lourdes Mario Anton, 20, pleaded guilty to one count of mail theft on Tuesday. The incident occurred on October 3, 2024, when Anton and a juvenile accomplice were recorded stealing mail from a church mailbox in Missouri.
The following day, police identified and stopped the white Toyota minivan driven by Anton. Upon search permission granted by Anton, officers found a tool used for mail theft and a FedEx package receipt addressed to him in Hollywood, Florida. Authorities intercepted the package containing 27 checks valued at $14,584. These checks were linked to religious organizations in eastern Missouri and southern Illinois, including one church located in St. Peters, Missouri.
Anton is set for sentencing on March 21, 2025. The charge of mail theft could result in up to five years of imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, or both.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service collaborated with the St. Charles County Police Department on this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll is handling the prosecution.
