Show-Me State Times

A Florida man, Lourdes Mario Anton, has been indicted in St. Louis on charges of stealing checks from churches in Missouri and Illinois. The U.S. District Court indictment accuses Anton of two counts of theft of or receipt of stolen mail, involving incidents at churches in O’Fallon and St. Peters, Missouri, both occurring on October 2.

Authorities allege that Anton used a specialized tool to steal at least 28 checks from six different church mailboxes. A motion filed with the court states that after police spotted him, they discovered a FedEx receipt which led to intercepting a package containing stolen checks intended for delivery to Anton's address in Florida.

According to the motion, Anton claimed he is originally from Romania and presented an expired employment authorization card listing his birthplace as France. He also stated that he was earning $3,000 per month as an altar boy in Hollywood, Florida.

The charges against Anton are accusations at this stage and do not imply guilt. As per legal standards, every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.

If convicted on the mail theft charges, Anton could face up to five years imprisonment per charge and a fine of up to $250,000 or both.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service alongside the St. Charles County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll is handling the prosecution.