Four men from Franklin County, Missouri, have admitted to using stolen checks from the U.S. Mail to commit bank fraud. The group removed mail from mailboxes, residences, and vehicles to obtain personal and business checks, bank account information, and personal identification details of multiple victims.
Matthew Cahill, 40, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and four counts of bank fraud. Cahill confessed that between February 2020 and September 2021, he altered or created counterfeit checks which were then used at retail stores or cashed at banks. He also accessed a victim's account electronically to send an unauthorized online ACH payment. The scheme resulted in a loss of $67,807. Cahill is set for sentencing on May 29.
Donald Anderson, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and three counts of bank fraud. He received a sentence of 24 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release and was ordered to repay $26,527.
Joshua Hopkins, 35, admitted guilt for two counts of bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. He was sentenced to 24 months in prison with three years supervised release and must repay $1,395.
Harvey Hale, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and two counts of bank fraud. His sentence includes 12 months in prison followed by three years supervised release with an order to repay $19,550.
The investigation involved several agencies including the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office as well as police departments from Washington City among others. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Klocke is handling the prosecution.
