Man charged for Springfield area mail theft, bank fraud

A 32-year-old Missouri man yesterday was charged at the U.S. District Court in Springfield for bank fraud and mail theft, according to a news release from the office of the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri.

David Riili, of Osceola, is charged with two counts alleging that he stole pieces of mail in Greene, Christian, Lawrence and Stone counties and deposited several stolen checks into a bank account at a Springfield branch of Empire Bank.

Charges were filed after Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers on Sept. 16 investigated a one-vehicle accident on Highway 76 near Indian Point Road in Stone County. Riili's vehicle slid into the woods and hit a tree; Riili and a passenger, Lindsey Scott, were transported to medical care by ambulance.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, a state trooper followed a trail of blood leading from the vehicle to the woods, where the officer discovered an envelope full of checks made out to different businesses and a trash bag containing stolen mail from areas in southwest Missouri. Among the items recovered were numerous checks stolen from Nixa-based Knight Heating & Air Conditioning Inc. and a credit card stolen from Reeds Spring.

Riili allegedly deposited seven checks totaling $8,363 into the bank account, checks which were stolen from businesses in Springfield, Nixa, Bolivar and Oseola, according to the release.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robyn McKee and was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.[[In-content Ad]]