A St. Louis County woman has been sentenced to a total of 93 months in federal prison for her involvement in gun and fraud-related crimes. U.S. District Judge John A. Ross issued the sentence on Tuesday, ordering Shirley Waller, 43, to serve 78 months for wire fraud and conspiracy offenses, consecutive to a previous 15-month sentence for being a felon in possession of firearms.
Waller was also ordered to pay $313,711 in restitution to victims.
In June, Waller pleaded 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.
According to court documents, Waller acted as a “money mule” by assisting scammers who targeted victims through various online schemes. Authorities began investigating after the daughter of a 71-year-old St. Louis County woman reported mailing $35,000 to Waller’s home as part of a romance scam in December 2023. Investigators discovered that more than 70 Express Mail packages had been delivered to Waller’s residence over a two-month period ending November 1, 2023.
During a search of her home on January 12, 2024, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service found two firearms and multiple Express Mail packages addressed under variations of Waller’s name. The packages contained cash sent by older adults who had been targeted by online scams. Fourteen identified victims sent $94,150 in total to her address. Federal authorities estimate that scammers overseas stole over $1 million based on the delivery of 193 packages between September 1, 2023 and April 1, 2024; these were tracked via Nigerian IP addresses.
Waller also admitted she applied for a Paycheck Protection Program loan worth $19,235 in April 2021 by falsely claiming ownership of a business in Michigan. She received the funds and used them for international travel to Ghana, Germany and Jamaica. She later submitted another fraudulent loan application for a St. Louis resale shop while concealing the earlier loan and falsifying income information.
Additionally, Waller admitted obtaining a $196,000 mortgage loan through false statements about her marital status, income and employment history as well as submitting counterfeit tax documents and bank statements.
Judge Ross previously sentenced Waller in March to serve 15 months after she pleaded guilty to being a felon with firearms.
“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 was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the Town and Country Police Department and FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry prosecuted the case.
