Show-Me State Times

A St. Louis County woman has been sentenced to 93 months in prison for her involvement in gun and fraud crimes, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri.

U.S. District Judge John A. Ross sentenced Shirley Waller, 43, on Tuesday. The sentence includes 78 months for wire fraud and conspiracy charges, which will be served consecutively with a 15-month sentence for being a felon in possession of firearms.

Waller was also ordered to pay $313,711 in restitution to victims.

In June, Waller pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and using an assumed name to commit mail fraud.

Court documents state that Waller acted as a “money mule” by assisting scammers who targeted victims through various online schemes. In December 2023, police learned from the daughter of a 71-year-old St. Louis County woman that $35,000 had been mailed to Waller’s residence as part of a romance scam. Authorities found that more than 70 Express Mail packages were delivered to her home over a two-month period ending November 1, 2023.

A search of Waller’s home by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service on January 12, 2024 uncovered two firearms and several Express Mail packages addressed under variations of her name. The packages contained cash sent by older adults who had fallen victim to online scams. Fourteen identified victims sent $94,150 to Waller’s address. Investigators estimate that overseas scammers stole more than $1 million through this operation, based on records showing that 193 packages were delivered between September 1, 2023 and April 1, 2024 and traced back to Nigerian IP addresses.

Waller also admitted to filing a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan application for $19,235 in April 2021 by falsely claiming she operated a business in Michigan. She received the funds and used them for international travel. Additionally, she submitted another false loan application for a St. Louis resale shop while hiding details about the first loan and falsifying income information.

She further admitted obtaining a $196,000 mortgage loan through false statements regarding her marital status, income and employment history; she also submitted fake tax documents and bank statements as part of the application process.

Judge Ross previously sentenced Waller in March to serve 15 months after she pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms.

“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 and local law enforcement partners, Postal Inspectors investigate fraudsters who utilize the U.S. Mail to perpetuate financial schemes to defraud others in order to enrich themselves. Postal Inspectors seek justice for victims, including those most vulnerable,” said Inspector in Charge Ruth Mendonça of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Town and Country Police Department and FBI; Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry prosecuted it.