A St. Louis County woman has admitted to her involvement in a Nigerian online fraud scheme that defrauded victims of approximately $1 million. Shirley Waller, 43, pleaded guilty to charges including wire fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
Waller's admission includes aiding scammers who extracted $1,068,834 from victims. The investigation began when a 71-year-old victim sent $35,000 to Waller's address as part of a romance scam. Authorities tracked the cash shipment through multiple IP addresses in Nigeria and discovered over 70 Express Mail packages delivered to Waller's home within two months ending November 2023.
During a search of her residence in January 2024, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service found firearms and several packages addressed with variations of Waller’s name containing cash from elderly victims targeted by online scams. She forwarded portions of this money to Nigeria using cryptocurrency and other electronic methods. Postal authorities intercepted parcels worth $41,650 en route to her home and found $17,500 in her safe.
Additionally, Waller confessed to filing fraudulent applications for loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). She falsely claimed business operations in Michigan to secure a loan of $19,235 on April 10, 2021, which she used for international travel rather than business purposes. Another fraudulent loan application for a resale shop was denied after she concealed prior loan information and falsified income details.
Waller also admitted securing a mortgage loan worth $196,000 through false claims about her marital status and income while submitting counterfeit documents.
Sentencing is set for September 29; each charge could result in up to 20 years imprisonment or fines up to $250,000 or both. In March this year, she received a sentence of 15 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to firearm possession as a felon.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service alongside the Town and Country Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry is handling prosecution duties.
