Former U.S. Postal Service employees charged in $63M stolen check scheme
Four people, including two former U.S. Postal Service employees, have been charged with their alleged involvement in a $63 million scheme involving checks that were stolen from the mail and then resold.
The stolen checks included Internal Revenue Service refunds issued by the U.S. Treasury.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan's announcement Friday cited the lead role of the U.S. Postal Service on the investigation, with the assistance of the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Department of Labor.
Jaiswan Williams, 31, of Rochester Hills, Michigan, Dequan Foreman, 30, of Eastpointe, Michigan, Vanessa Hargrove, 39, of Detroit, and Crystal Jenkins, 31, of Detroit, all were charged with conspiracy to aid and abet bank and wire fraud. If convicted, the four face up to 30 years in prison.
Williams also faces charges related to money laundering and fraudulent pandemic unemployment insurance benefit claims.
Hargrove and Jenkins were United States Postal Service employees, the district attorney's office said. Williams and Foreman were the administrators of the online marketplaces on Telegram Messenger, which is an instant messaging application.
The district attorney's office explained that the scheme involved the online sale of stolen checks. The resale price depended on the face value of the check. The purchases were made via a variety of electronic payment platforms. Those who purchased the checks would then attempt to fraudulently cash them.
"This investigation represents the hard work and dedication by USPS OIG special agents, working with the U.S. Attorney's Office and other federal agencies, to bring charges on this significant mail theft investigation," Tammy Hull, Inspector General U.S. Postal Service, said in a statement about the case.
