A Joplin man was sentenced to federal prison for stealing mail from residents in Joplin, Mo., as part of a conspiracy involving bank and wire fraud.
Aaron M. Blake, 28, was sentenced to three years and seven months in federal prison without parole by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool. The court also ordered Blake to pay $12,482 in restitution to his victims.
Blake had pleaded guilty on Feb. 13, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Emily Anna-Lee Sturgis, 31, Blake’s co-defendant, pleaded guilty on July 22, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud and to one count of bank fraud. She awaits sentencing.
The investigation revealed that Sturgis and Blake conspired from December 2022 to Jan. 26, 2023, to steal mail from residential mailboxes and porches in Joplin. The stolen items included credit cards, debit cards, checks, cash, jewelry, and documents containing personal identifying information, such as names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and bank account details. Among the items stolen were Pandora jewelry and a Christmas card containing a $500 check.
Blake, with the assistance of Sturgis, used the stolen information to open fraudulent credit cards and bank accounts. They then used these accounts to make unauthorized purchases. The pair attempted to steal at least $13,845 from their victims and successfully obtained $12,482.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Clark and was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Carthage Police Department, and the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department.
