ST. LOUIS—A U.S. Postal Service worker, Anthony Virdue II, is facing serious legal troubles, accused of stealing checks valued at over $1.5 million from the mail, according to a federal indictment. He is also charged with committing pandemic fraud.
The 29-year-old Virdue has been indicted on three counts of mail theft and one count of wire fraud.
The indictment alleges that while employed at the Postal Service Processing and Distribution Center on Market Street, Virdue had access to first-class mail routed through the facility. His fingerprints were reportedly found on numerous stolen checks.
Additionally, Virdue is accused of fraudulently applying for and receiving a $21,000 Pandemic Protection Program loan in 2021. The indictment claims that his loan application for a tobacco store named Virdue Dynamics contained false information regarding the business’s income, included a counterfeit IRS document, and incorrectly listed his grandmother’s address as the store’s location.
The wire fraud charge related to the loan carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, along with a $250,000 fine, or both. The mail theft charges could result in a maximum of five years in prison and the same financial penalties.
