Man sentenced to federal prison for mail fraud and aggravated identity theft

ST. LOUIS - Jeffrey C. Brown, 36, of Collinsville, Illinois, was sentenced to a total of thirty-six months in federal prison for the offenses of Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud in a scheme to obtain money and property through the use of unauthorized access devices through the commission of identity theft, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Brown was also ordered to pay $19,505.17 in restitution and serve two years of supervised release following his release from prison.

The convictions are the result of Brown and a co-conspirator stealing mail out of mailboxes. The stolen mail matter contained means of identification of other persons that included names, dates of birth and social security numbers. As part of the conspiracy, Brown used that information to apply for and obtain credit cards. The credit cards were then used to make purchases. Some of the fraudulently obtained items were then shipped or mailed to Brown’s residence. The items fraudulently obtained were often taken to local pawn shops for quick cash. It was ultimately determined that Brown was addicted to methamphetamines and cocaine and also had a gambling addiction.

The prosecution is the result of an investigation conducted by the Collinsville Police Department, the Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service/Criminal Investigations, and the United States Secret Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Norman R. Smith.

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