A Fayette County woman has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for her role as a “money mule” in a scam that defrauded victims of tens of thousands of dollars and involved the use of stolen identities.
Elizabeth Conrad, 55, from Ramsey, pleaded guilty to multiple charges including conspiracy to commit mail fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy to commit access device fraud, access device fraud, money laundering by concealing the nature of fraudulent proceeds, and aggravated identity theft. The court also ordered Conrad to pay $78,480.26 in restitution to the victims.
“Foreign-based fraud conspiracies rely on money mules residing within the U.S. to receive their illicit proceeds and distance themselves from prosecution,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Elizabeth Conrad knowingly supported the fraud conspiracy, ignored multiple warnings from law enforcement and laundered proceeds from victims.”
Court documents show that between 2019 and 2022, Conrad worked with foreign scammers as part of a scheme targeting U.S. victims. Money mules are individuals who receive and transfer money or valuables obtained through fraudulent means at someone else’s direction. Their involvement makes it more difficult for authorities to trace stolen funds back to those responsible.
Conrad received packages at her home containing cash, checks, gift cards, and electronics sent by victims through the mail. Aware that these items were obtained illegally, she repackaged them and forwarded them to co-conspirators overseas. She also accepted deposits from fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans into her bank account on two occasions and attempted to deposit checks as well as wire cryptocurrency funds to others involved in the scheme.
“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 those most vulnerable,” said Acting Inspector in Charge Mary Johnson of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
The investigation found that Conrad used stolen identities along with her co-conspirators’ help to obtain debit cards in other people’s names, which she received at her residence in Ramsey. These cards were then used for withdrawals in both Ramsey and Vandalia areas; over $30,000 was charged using at least 69 fraudulent debit cards.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service St. Louis Field Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Gross.
