SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — An Elk Point woman faces a federal criminal trial in December on 13 counts of mail fraud.
Jennifer Groethe, 46 has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Prosecutors say she stole mail and packages from mailboxes in late 2018 and then destroyed them. Then, earlier this year, authorities say tried to defraud people out of their mail.
If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Below is a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that an Elk Point, South Dakota, woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Mail Theft and thirteen counts of Mail Fraud.
Jennifer Groethe, age 46, was indicted on September 4, 2019. She appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on September 27, 2019, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 20 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and up to $1,300 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on between October 23, 2018, and December 3, 2018, Groethe stole, took, and abstracted letters, postal cards, packages, and mail from and out of authorized depositories for United States mail matter and removed such letters, postal cards, packages, and mail and secretly embezzled and destroyed them afterwards.
The indictment also alleges that between February 21, 2018, and January 8, 2019, Groethe willfully and unlawfully devised, and intended to devise, a scheme and artifice to defraud for obtaining money and property by means of false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises.
The charges are merely accusations and Groethe is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper is prosecuting the case.
Groethe was released on bond pending trial, which has been set for December 3, 2019.
