A 29-year-old postal worker was identified as the culprit behind the disappearance of $1.5 million in checks from letters at a mail distribution center in Missouri, according to federal officials.
Anthony Virdure II, an employee of the United States Postal Service in St. Louis, has been charged with three counts of mail theft and one count of wire fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri. The indictment was announced on September 26th.
I couldn’t find any information about Virdure’s attorney, according to McClatchy News.
According to the indictment, Virdure had access to all first-class mail at the distribution center and during the period from November 15 to April 11, he stole three letters that contained checks.
According to court documents, the mail was intended for recipients in Alton, Illinois; Palatine, Illinois; and St. Louis.
Virdure is facing allegations of deceitfully seeking and obtaining a Pandemic Protection Loan valued at over $20,000 for a tobacco store. Federal officials have revealed that he listed his grandmother’s residence as the address on his application.
The indictment stated that the COVID-19 pandemic relief loan, totaling $20,832, was originally designed to assist small businesses in managing payroll, debts, and other financial burdens caused by the pandemic.
Virdure allegedly misrepresented information on his PPP loan application by falsely claiming that his tobacco business generated $100,000 in revenue in 2020. According to the indictment, the Schedule C document used to support this claim was found to be fraudulent.
According to prosecutors, if Virdure is found guilty on all charges, he could potentially face a maximum sentence of 35 years in prison.
