According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Missouri, a Florida man confessed in court on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, to the theft of checks from mailboxes belonging to churches in Missouri and Illinois.
Lourdes Mario Anton, 20, has pleaded guilty to one count of mail theft, as stated in the release. Anton’s admission was made on October 3, 2024, following his arrest. This came after video footage captured him and a juvenile accomplice stealing from a mailbox belonging to a church in Missouri.
In the footage, the police noticed the white Toyota minivan that Anton was driving and promptly pulled it over. Anton willingly allowed the officers to search the minivan, where they discovered a tool that the duo had used for mail theft. Additionally, they found a receipt for a FedEx package that Anton had addressed to himself in Hollywood, Florida. This evidence led to Anton’s admission of guilt.
The package was intercepted by investigators who found 27 checks inside, totaling $14,584. This money was intended for religious organizations in eastern Missouri and southern Illinois, including a church in St. Peters, Missouri.
Anton is set to be sentenced on March 21, 2025. If found guilty of mail theft, he could face a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the St. Charles County Police Department worked together on the investigations for this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll is the prosecutor handling the case.
The Office of Public Affairs has not provided any additional details at this time. We eagerly await further updates from them.
