Statutue of Limitations for Missouri-Theft/Fraud

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Missouri

I was wondering if someone could help me out...I have recently been questioned by 2 detectives that claim that I purchased a computer in my ex huband's name without his permission and he claims he didn't know a thing about it. Yes, I did purchase the computer ($1900) in his name, but he was right there the day it was purchased off the internet. He gave me permission to order it for a gift to make things good with me because his daughter owed me $1200.00 and she never gave me one dime back. We were not married any longer at the time of ordering the computer.

He requested that the computer be sent to my place of employment,due to him missing some mail from his PO box and he was sure his daughter had taken it. He didnt want her to get the slip from the PO box and take it to the Post Office counter and pick up the package. I agreed. There wasn't a credit card used, but he did have me to set up an account with the company's financial dept, in his name. My name also appeared on the billing, not as a customer, but as to whom the package would delivered to. The billing stopped coming about 6 months later. I never questioned my ex about it, nor did he question me about it. If fact, we never had any contact for almost 2 years.

He said he would make the payments and he never did. I did agree to make the first few payments because the computer was more than what his daughter owed me and because he said he was having to help his daughter make her car payments for a few months.

When it came time to enter a billing address, he also wanted it to come to me at my place of employment. For several months afterwards, the bill would arrive and I would place it in my vehicle on the parking lot at my place of employment. He would either contact me or I would contact him to make him aware of the bill arriving. He would come to my place of employment and get the bill out of my vehicle and leave some junk mail that I was still getting in his PO box. This has been a little over 5 years ago and just recently things started happening with the detectives questioning me.

I really don't have a clue to what they are trying to do, since my ex husband is being sued by the computer finance company because he didnt pay for the computer. I do know that just this evening, when the detective called about me writing a statement to give to her, I asked the detective "What is this statement for?" the detective replied...ummmm...I then asked, "Is it for a civil matter or a criminal matter?" The detective informed me of it was a criminal matter.

I was also informed at the initial questioning that with the dollar amount it would be consider as a felony. I did not do anything in his name without permission. I have been told that his daughter is the one causing the stir up with the Police Dept. Of course, that is here say, from another detective from another county that spoke to this one detective.

If anyone could please give me some advice here, I would certainly appreciate it. I have done some research on the statute of limitations for felonies, but I am not sure if this type of felony would fall into that particular limitation. Hopefully, I have made some sense. Any questions, please do not hesitate to ask me for further information.

Oh yeah, there was one person that could have been my eye witness, but he passed away 3 years ago.

So basically you are claiming that you purchased a computer in your ex's name on an account you opened in his name, had it sent to your work, had bills sent to your work, and (even though your ex inexplicably agreed to pay for the computer) paid the bills for a while before they stopped coming to your work. Then you didn't bother to follow up with your ex- to find out where the bills were going or if they were being paid?

Should we assume that his story is that the first he knew about the computer was when he was contacted by a collection agency about the nonpayment?

The statute of limitations in Missouri for most felony offenses is three years, with various factors potentially extending the limitations period for up to an additional three years. Read it here.

My ex husband was by my side the day that we ordered the computer. Yes it was in his name and he did give me permission to place the order, put in his name and use his SS# to apply for credit services through the company that the computer order was being place. I didn't do anything without his knowledge or permission. He never hesitated once through the process and I know it all looks bad on my part, but I can honestly say that was the way it all went about. The agreement was for me to pay for a few months afterwhich, he would pick up the bills from my vehicle. When the bills stopped coming to my place of employment, I didn't think much about it, I assumed he had the address changed to his PO Box. I suppose I was the "ass" in assume, but I believed he was taking care of the bills.

Thank you for your help. It really bothers me to think that I was so volunerable to his willingness to pay me back for the debt his daughter owed me. I would have never thought in a million years that this would have happened this way. I have an appointment with my attorney this week. I know my ex is having a hard time right now, financially, and to help him out, I would be willing to give him some money on the computer, but I do not feel that I should pay for all of it. I certainly don't want anyone to believe that I would be admitting to guilt by paying for some of the computer.

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Quoting Mr. Knowitall

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So basically you are claiming that you purchased a computer in your ex's name on an account you opened in his name, had it sent to your work, had bills sent to your work, and (even though your ex inexplicably agreed to pay for the computer) paid the bills for a while before they stopped coming to your work. Then you didn't bother to follow up with your ex- to find out where the bills were going or if they were being paid?

Should we assume that his story is that the first he knew about the computer was when he was contacted by a collection agency about the nonpayment?

The statute of limitations in Missouri for most felony offenses is three years, with various factors potentially extending the limitations period for up to an additional three years. Read it here.

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