A Franklin County resident has admitted to using stolen mail to commit bank and check fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri.
Miranda Burgess, 30, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to all 13 counts against her. The charges include one count of aggravated identity theft, three counts of possession of stolen mail, and nine counts of bank fraud.
Court documents state that beginning as early as February 1, 2022, Burgess obtained mail stolen from a Missouri victim. The stolen mail contained information about the victim’s bank accounts. Using this information, Burgess transferred funds from the victim’s account into her own accounts at Acorns, Green Dot, M1 Finance, Square, and Wave. According to her plea agreement, she initiated $76,270 in fraudulent electronic transfers; $50,000 was later returned to the victim.
Burgess also deposited counterfeit checks that used the victim’s name, forged electronic signature, and account number. This resulted in an additional loss of $1,200 for the victim.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 3. Bank fraud carries a penalty of up to 30 years in prison and a fine up to $1 million or both. Possession of stolen mail can result in up to five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Aggravated identity theft requires a mandatory two-year sentence consecutive to any other prison term imposed.
Burgess will be required to repay the money taken during these offenses.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service along with local law enforcement agencies including the Arnold Police Department and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Ladendorf is prosecuting.
