ST. LOUIS, MO – A New York woman pleaded guilty Friday in federal court to a sweeping fraud scheme involving counterfeit checks and stolen identities worth nearly $2.7 million.
Gabrielle Borthwick, 23, admitted to six counts of financial institution fraud and six counts of aggravated identity theft. Prosecutors said she used counterfeit cashier’s checks and stolen personal information to open fraudulent accounts at banks in Missouri and Illinois.
Court documents show Borthwick presented fake driver’s licenses that bore her photo but contained victims’ names and birthdates. To bolster the ruse, she supplied fabricated utility and phone bills and told bank officials she had recently relocated to Missouri. She deposited counterfeit checks ranging from $121,260 to $1.4 million and claimed to be running a wedding planning business to explain the unusually large sums.
Investigators said she attempted to deposit $2,773,280.65 in counterfeit checks and succeeded in fraudulently obtaining $271,667.98 before banks detected the fraud.
Borthwick is scheduled to be sentenced on December 17. Financial institution fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine, while aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year prison term consecutive to other charges and a fine of up to $250,000. She will also be required to repay the stolen money.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and multiple police departments in Missouri and Illinois. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Ladendorf is prosecuting.
Key Points
- Gabrielle Borthwick, 23, admitted to $2.7 million check fraud scheme across Missouri and Illinois.
- Used counterfeit IDs, fake utility bills, and stolen personal data to open bank accounts.
- Faces up to 30 years in prison on financial fraud charges plus mandatory time for identity theft.
The guilty plea brings a decisive turn in a fraud case that spanned multiple states and financial institutions.