FAYETTE COUNTY, IL — A Fayette County woman is facing charges, including conspiracy, mail fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft. 54-year-old Elizabeth Conrad of Ramsey is accused of acting as a “money mule” in a fraud scheme, receiving stolen goods, and using victims identities to acquire debit cards and make unauthorized purchases. Conrad’s charges could earn her up to 20 years in prison if she is convicted.
More information from the Department of Justice below;
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A southern Illinois grand jury returned a 19-count indictment charging a Fayette County woman for working as a “money mule” within a conspiracy to defraud victims and use their stolen identities.
Elizabeth Conrad, 54, of Ramsey, is facing one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, two counts of mail fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, one count of access device fraud, seven counts of money laundering and seven counts of aggravated identity theft.
“Criminal conspiracies are as varied as the creative minds behind them, limited only by the ingenuity of the con artists orchestrating the scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Be extremely cautious anytime someone you have never met offers investments, employment, or asks for money, electronics, or your personal information—it’s likely a scam.”
According to court documents, Conrad is accused of serving as a “money mule” for other scammers in a conspiracy to defraud victims from at least June 2020 until September 2022. Money mules are people who, at someone else’s direction, receive and move money or valuables obtained from victims of fraud. Money mules add layers of distance between crime victims and criminals, which makes it harder for law enforcement to accurately trace funds that are fraudulently obtained from victims.
The indictment alleges Conrad accepted packages at her home sent through the mail from victims containing cash, checks, gift cards and electronics. Knowing the goods were fraudulently acquired, Conrad would then repackage the items and send off to her co-conspirators. Conrad is also accused of attempting to deposit the checks and wiring funds to her co-conspirators in cryptocurrency.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is charged with defending the nation’s mail system from illegal use. With the collaborative efforts of our federal law enforcement partners, Postal Inspectors investigate fraudsters who utilize the U.S. Mail to perpetuate financial schemes to defraud others to enrich themselves. Postal Inspectors seek justice for victims, including the multiple individual consumer and business victims in this investigation,” said Inspector in Charge, Ruth Mendonça, who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Field Office.
In addition to the mail fraud, Conrad’s charges for access device fraud, identity theft and money laundering stem from accusations of her and co-conspirators using victims’ names to acquire debit cards that were sent to Conrad. Conrad is accused of using those debit cards for bank withdrawals and purchases to benefit the conspiracy. The indictment outlines ten fraudulent transactions that Conrad is accused of making at ATMs and gas stations in southern Illinois from March through June 2022, and alleges that she received thousands of dollars from these transactions to benefit the conspiracy.
An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
Convictions for conspiracy to commit mail fraud, money laundering and mail fraud are punishable by up to 20 years’ imprisonment. Access device fraud is punishable up to 10 years’ imprisonment and conspiracy to commit access device fraud is punishable up to five years’ imprisonment. Aggravated identity theft is a mandatory two years’ imprisonment consecutive to the imposed sentence.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service St. Louis Field Office is leading the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Gross is prosecuting the case.