Collinsville man sentenced to federal prison for mail fraud and aggravated identity theft
From Illinois Business Journal news services
EAST ST. LOUIS — A man who stole mail out of mailboxes and used personally identifying information to obtain credit cards is going to prison.
Jeffrey C. Brown, 36, of Collinsville, has been sentenced to a total of 36 months in federal prison for offenses related to identity theft and conspiracy to commit mail fraud, 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 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, Wiggonton said.
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.
