FBI Busts Missouri Woman for Acting as Money Mule in Scam

It would be difficult to find someone with as many roles in fraud as a Missouri woman who was busted by the FBI for helping scammers steal millions from unsuspecting victims.

The United States Postal Inspector just shared the details of a scheme that resulted in hundreds of people being robbed of millions. They say that the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Town and Country Police Department and the FBI investigated the case of Shirley Waller, 43, of St. Louis County, Missouri. After the daughter of a St. Louis County woman told investigators that her mother had sent $32,000 to Waller's address, the FBI learned that 70 Express Mail packages had been delivered to her home just during a 2-month period near the end of 2023. Fourteen identified victims sent $94,150 to that address in total. They believe that as many as 193 packages were involved from September of 2023 through April of 2024 tracked to Nigerian IP addresses. The FBI believes that the scammers got away with more than one million dollars.

“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, who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Field Office.

Waller pled 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. Combined with mortgage and pandemic fraud and being a felon caught with two firearms, she was just sentenced to a grand total of 93 months in federal prison.