A woman from Springfield, Missouri has admitted in federal court to participating in a scheme involving mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering by submitting fraudulent documents to the Missouri Department of Revenue.
Christie Engle, 49, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Willie J. Epps, Jr., to one count each of mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering.
According to court documents, Engle was employed by Dennis Cleveland, who owns Affordable Towing. Cleveland directed employees including Engle to send false paperwork to the Missouri Department of Revenue. These documents aimed to secure substitute or replacement mechanics liens and vehicle titles for cars previously reported stolen. The intention was for Cleveland’s business to sell these vehicles.
The plea agreement states that all submitted documents claimed permission had been granted by the vehicles’ owners. However, none of the owners had authorized Engle, Cleveland or Affordable Towing to seize or sell their vehicles. Each document included a forged signature purportedly from the owner.
When successful in obtaining new liens or titles at Cleveland’s instruction, Engle enabled Cleveland to sell the vehicles through his used car dealership. When unsuccessful, the cars were sold as scrap locally. In both cases, proceeds went solely to Cleveland.
All vehicles involved in this scheme were confirmed as stolen; neither Engle nor her associates had authorization over them.
Dennis Cleveland also pleaded guilty in December 2025 and is awaiting sentencing on identical charges.
Engle faces up to 20 years in prison without parole for mail fraud and up to 10 years for money laundering. She also faces an additional mandatory two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft that must run consecutively with other sentences. Actual sentencing will be determined based on federal guidelines after a presentence investigation is completed by the United States Probation Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney is prosecuting this case following investigations conducted by several agencies: the Missouri Department of Revenue’s Compliance and Investigation Bureau; United States Postal Inspection Service; Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation; and Environmental Protection Agency.
