Joplin man sent to prison for mail theft

Sept. 30—SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The male half of a Joplin couple convicted in federal court of fraud and identity theft involving stolen mail was sentenced Monday to three years and seven months in prison.

U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool assessed the sentence of Aaron M. Blake, 28, in federal court in Springfield for conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft and ordered him to pay his victims $12,482 in restitution.

Blake pleaded guilty to the charges on February 13. His co-defendant in the case, Emily A. Sturgis, 31, pleaded guilty July 22 to conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud and bank fraud and is awaiting sentencing.

The couple admitted to stealing mail from mailboxes and off porches from December 2022 to January 26, 2023. The thefts involved credit and debit cards, checks, cash, jewelry and various documents containing names, dates of birth, social security numbers and a bank account. information, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Springfield.

A press release announcing the conviction said they stole Pandora jewelry from a mailbox and a Christmas card containing a $500 check from another mailbox and used stolen credit cards to make various purchases.

Blake and Sturgis also used the personal information obtained in this manner to open credit card and bank accounts under other people’s names to make other fraudulent purchases.

The dollar amount of their attempted thefts was estimated at $13,845, with the two men managing to illegally obtain at least $12,482, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.