A Florida man has admitted to stealing checks from church mailboxes in Missouri and Illinois. Lourdes Mario Anton, 20, pleaded guilty to one count of mail theft on Tuesday. He confessed that on October 3, 2024, he and a juvenile accomplice were recorded on video taking mail from a church mailbox in Missouri.
The following day, police identified the white Toyota minivan driven by Anton and conducted a stop. Anton permitted officers to search the vehicle, where they found a tool used for stealing mail and a receipt for a FedEx package addressed to him in Hollywood, Florida. Authorities intercepted this package, discovering it contained 27 checks totaling $14,584. These checks had been sent to or from religious organizations in eastern Missouri and southern Illinois, including one church located in St. Peters, Missouri.
Anton is set for sentencing on March 21, 2025. The charge of mail theft could result in up to five years of imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, or both.
The investigation was carried out by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service along with the St. Charles County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll is handling the prosecution.