‘Bonnie and Clyde’ couple took over people’s bank accounts after stealing mail, feds say
A couple who called themselves the “modern-day Bonnie and Clyde” took control of people’s bank accounts after going on a monthslong mail-stealing spree throughout three southeastern states, prosecutors say.
Michael H. Boatwright, 33, and Stephanie Michelle Lea Napier, 29, drove around to rummage through mailboxes in their home state of South Carolina, as well as Florida and Georgia, and illegally gathered the personal information of their victims, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.
With that information, prosecutors say they were able to take over a number of bank accounts and “stole, or attempted to steal,” a total of $1.5 million from their victims.
Boatwright pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail, wire, and bank fraud on Aug. 29, court documents show. Napier previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud in March.
“These thefts weren’t just a matter of swiping letters from private citizens’ rural mailboxes; Boatwright and Napier took their crimes several steps further by using that mail to steal sensitive information and individuals’ identities,” U.S. Attorney David H. Estes said in a statement.
The couple, both from Chesterfield, awaits sentencing following their guilty pleas, according to the release.
Attorneys for Boatwright and Napier declined requests for comment from McClatchy News on Aug. 30.
Beginning in November 2020, the couple began stealing mail in a spree that would last until June 2021, according to prosecutors.
After obtaining personal identifying information from several victims and accessing their bank accounts, the duo would make wire transfers, write out fake checks and open debit and credit cards in their victims’ names, court documents show
In one case, the couple took over two victims’ co-owned bank accounts and stole $271,000 from them using a wire transfer in June 2021, according to Boatwright’s indictment.
“Together, Boatwright and Napier stole and attempted to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from their many victims, and caused substantial non-monetary harm and headaches for countless victims who had to deal with Boatwright and Napier’s blatant and far-ranging identity theft,” the indictment states.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Secret Service and authorities in Georgia, Florida and South Carolina are involved in the investigation of the couple, according to the release.
“Even the most cunning criminals can’t elude the team effort of the federal, state and local law enforcement agencies tasked with pursuing them,” Craig Reno, Secret Service resident agent in charge, said in a statement.
Chesterfield is roughly 85 miles northeast of Columbia.
This story was originally published August 30, 2022 at 2:36 PM with the headline "‘Bonnie and Clyde’ couple took over people’s bank accounts after stealing mail, feds say."
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