Show-Me State Times

Two siblings from the St. Louis area have been sentenced to prison for their involvement in aggravated identity theft and fraud schemes, according to a ruling by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark.

Alexandria Collins, 34, of Shiloh, Illinois, received a sentence of 146 months in prison and was ordered to pay $449,984 in restitution. Her brother, Wayne M. Collins, 31, was sentenced to 141 months in prison and must pay $134,519 in restitution.

Wayne Collins was under supervised release for a previous conviction related to aiding and abetting the theft of a firearm from a licensed dealer when authorities searched his residence in 2023. The search uncovered a phone belonging to his sister that contained evidence of identity theft and wire fraud. This included a counterfeit driver’s license with Wayne Collins’ photo but another person’s personal information, which had been used to open a credit account worth $6,300 on June 21, 2023. The device also held evidence linking Wayne Collins to stolen bank checks taken from the mail.

Further investigation revealed that Alexandria Collins produced fake identification documents and paystubs for multiple individuals and carried out wire fraud schemes to obtain vehicle loans using stolen identities. She also opened fraudulent credit accounts with retailers and cellphone companies and attempted to sell vehicles obtained through these schemes at auction companies. In addition, she facilitated the shipment of LSD via the U.S. Postal Service and created counterfeit financial documents for use in court proceedings.

In an earlier case from 2020, Alexandria Collins had been sentenced to 33 months in prison for fraud and ordered to pay $131,710 in restitution. After her release on house arrest in September 2021, she lived in properties rented using stolen identities and fake wage records—once by her boyfriend who is also a convicted felon—and misled her probation officer about the arrangements. The couple left one landlord with unpaid rent totaling $36,699 after being evicted due to nonpayment and property damage.

Alexandria Collins continued these activities by renting another home under false pretenses using Oneasha Stevenson’s identity while again deceiving her probation officer about the rental agreement. She funneled over $9,000 through her boyfriend’s son’s student checking account for rent payments.

On April 8, 2022, Alexandria Collins opened an account at a credit union by falsely claiming employment at a daycare center; over five months she deposited or transferred more than $40,000 as part of fraudulent loan activities involving luxury vehicles such as a stolen Porsche Panamera and proceeds from selling a Rolls Royce without informing her probation officer.

After her boyfriend's arrest on October 26, 2022, Alexandria Collins concealed this information from police while helping prevent the mother of one of his children from regaining custody by having someone impersonate him during communications with authorities.

She later worked with Stevenson—who used stolen identities—to attempt purchases of vehicles and electronics with assistance from both siblings.

Wayne Collins pleaded guilty in May to aggravated identity theft related to cases filed in both 2022 and 2024; his sentence includes time for violating supervised release terms stemming from an earlier conviction.

Alexandria Collins pleaded guilty in May to access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, and making false statements to federal officers; part of her sentence covers violations related to prior supervised release conditions.

Oneasha Stevenson was initially sentenced in July 2024 to five years' probation with an order for restitution but later received a prison term after repeated violations including failure to make required payments.

“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 investigation involved cooperation between the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (https://www.uspis.gov/), Missouri Department of Revenue’s Compliance and Investigation Bureau (https://dor.mo.gov/about/compliance-investigation.html), and U.S. Probation Office (https://www.moept.uscourts.gov/probation-office). Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry prosecuted the case.