Grand jury indicts Joplin residents for conspiracy, bank fraud, mail theft, identity theft

A grand jury indictment of two Joplin residents on felony conspiracy, bank fraud, mail theft and identity thefts charges was unsealed today in U. S District Court for the Western District of Missouri.

According to the indictment, Aaron M. Blake, 27, and Emily Anna-Lee Sturgis, 30, stole items out of numerous mailboxes, including information that enabled them to open credit card accounts. Blake faces nine felony charges and Sturgis eight.

Blake and Sturgis stored the items they stole in a Carthage motel room, according to the indictment.

The two were initially arrested in January by the Jasper County Sheriff's Office, which posted the following news release:

On January 26th, 2023 at approximately 2:00 p.m. Jasper County Deputies were dispatched to the area Fleece Lane and North Peace Church Ave in Joplin in reference to a suspicious vehicle that was stopping in front of several houses. The caller gave a vehicle description and license plate to the dispatcher.

Jasper County Detectives who were in the area recognized the vehicle description as a vehicle they were looking for in several reports of stolen mail.

Detectives located the vehicle at Casey’s in Briarbrook of Carl Junction. During the investigation, multiple items of mail were located in the vehicle with various different addresses.

The driver, Emily Sturgis, 30, of Joplin and passenger, Aaron Blake, 27, of Joplin were taken into custody and charges of stealing are being sent to the Jasper County Prosecutor for review. The owners of the stolen mail will be contacted by detectives. This investigation is ongoing, and more charges may arise as it continues.

Jasper County deputies searched the room at the Tara Motel in Carthage and posted the following news release January 29:

On January 29th , at approximately 3:00 PM, Jasper County deputies were following up on information regarding the recent mail theft suspects.

During the investigation detectives searched a room at the Tara Motel located near I -44/Old 66 that both Sturgis and Blake had rented and located opened mail that contained W-2 forms, car titles, financial statements, checks and credit cards belonging to additional victims of Jasper County.

Approximately an additional 170 victims have been identified and will be contacted in reference to these thefts.

More charges will be sent to the prosecutor on both suspects and other agencies are now assisting with this investigation, including Joplin Police Department and Newton County Sheriff’s Office.