Federal prosecutors intensifying efforts to stop rising mail thefts

Posted on by Mike Fuhrman

Special to IFN

The U.S. Attorney’s Office has intensified federal efforts to address the surge in mail thefts by increasing the prosecution of cases involving stolen mail, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Federal prosecutors and investigators are also urging residents and businesses to take proactive measures to prevent thefts and report stolen mail promptly.

“Mail theft is not a victimless crime. Not only does it disrupt the delivery of important mail, but it can be a conduit to identity theft and financial fraud, with significant consequences for victimized individuals and businesses,” King explained. “My Office is committed to protecting and securing our postal system, but we also need individuals and businesses to remain vigilant and take steps to secure their mail. Working together, we can stop mail thefts and uphold the integrity of our postal services.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office has brought charges and secured convictions against defendants for crimes related to mail theft. The cases involve mail stolen from residential and business mailboxes and mail processing centers, used to commit financial fraud, bank fraud, and identity theft. Among the defendants charged are former postal employees, who misused their position and access to commit mail theft and engage in criminal schemes involving stolen mail.

“The safety and security of the U.S. mail and its customers are core to the mission of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service,” said Inspector-in-Charge Tommy D. Coke of the Atlanta Division. “Mail theft can have devasting consequences for victimized individuals and businesses. This effort would not be successful without the cooperation between our federal, state, and local law enforcement counterparts. We will continue to work collectively to pursue criminals who victimize postal customers.”

Recent charges brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office include:

♦ U.S. v. Miguel Bridges and U.S. v. Jaleesa Bridges and Ryan Bridges – Miguel Bridges, 34, of Charlotte, worked as a postal employee at a mail distribution center in Charlotte. He pleaded guilty in federal court this week to conspiracy to commit offense against the United States for stealing cell phones from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and selling them for profit. Jaleesa Bridges, 36, of Charlotte and Ryan Bridges, 32, of Florence, S.C., were charged separately in August 2024, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and possession of stolen mail. Their charges are still pending. According to allegations in the charging documents, Miguel Bridges took advantage of his position as a postal employee to open mail parcels and steal cellular phones, which he and his co-conspirators then sold to ecoATM automated kiosks and other locations, as well as to third parties. During the conspiracy, it is alleged that more than 1,400 stolen cell phones were sold for approximately $400,000.

♦ U.S. v. John Davis – On August 28, John Calvin Davis, III, 28, of Charlotte was sentenced to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release for executing a scheme involving stolen checks. Court documents show that, from August 2022 to January 2023, Davis obtained approximately 50 checks that were stolen from USPS mail collection boxes in Charlotte. The defendant then fraudulently endorsed the stolen checks, used ATMs to deposit the checks into bank accounts he controlled, and quickly withdrew the funds via ATMs or mobile transfers before the victims or the bank discovered the checks were stolen. Through this scheme, Davis fraudulently obtained $304,355.56 in fraudulent proceeds.

♦ U.S. v. Quadarius Thomas – On August 7, Quadarius Thomas, 30, of Charlotte pleaded guilty to one count of possession of stolen mail, and two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Court records show that, in December 2023, Thomas had in his possession a U.S. Treasury Check that had been mailed to a victim company. The check was in the amount of $2,463,923.52, and it had been stolen from a letter box or post office. Thomas also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon. Court records show that Thomas possessed two firearms despite having prior criminal convictions that prohibit him from possessing firearms. Thomas is currently in federal custody and is awaiting sentencing.

♦ U.S. v. Jessica Sowell – On August 5, 2024, Jessica Bailey Sowell, 31, of Charlotte pleaded guilty to bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Court records show that, from March 2023 to February 2024, Sowell executed an identity theft and bank fraud scheme using personal identifying information (PII) of identity theft victims. Sowell obtained the PII through various means, including stealing mail, from the internet, and other sources. Sowell used the stolen PII to create fraudulent identification documents which she used at banks, hotels, and retail stores in order to obtain money and merchandise, and to rent hotel rooms and cars. During that time, Sowell also illegally possessed a firearm. Sowell is currently detained. A sentencing hearing has not been set.

♦ U.S. v. Tressa Baucom, et al. – In July 2024, Jennings Peter Keziah, also known as Christian Thomas Carpenter, 37, of Stanley was sentenced to 30 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess stolen mail, for stealing thousands of pieces of mail in North Carolina and South Carolina. Keziah’s co-defendant, Tressa Nichole Baucom, 31, of Charlotte has pleaded guilty to the same offense and is awaiting sentencing. According to court records, from October to December 2021, the defendants executed a mail theft scheme that targeted residential mailboxes in Charlotte and Gastonia  and York County, S.C. Over the course of the scheme, Baucom and Keziah allegedly stole more than 3,700 pieces of mail, including credit cards, checks, gift cards, driver’s licenses, bank statements and a passport. Court records show that the defendants used the stolen cards for personal expenditures, including to make purchases at Walmart, Academy Sports & Outdoors, Quick Trip, and Best Buy.

♦ U.S. v. Nakedra Shannon, et. al. – Nakedra Shannon, 30, Donnell Gardner, 28, and Desiray Carter, 30, all of Charlotte, were indicted for a scheme involving stolen checks. In July 2024, Gardner was sentenced to 54 months in prison, after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit financial institution fraud and theft of government money, property, or records. According to court records, Shannon, who was employed by the USPS as a mail processing clerk, stole incoming and outgoing checks from the U.S. mail, which Shannon, Gardner, and Carter then sold to other individuals. Over the course of the conspiracy, the defendants stole checks totaling more than $24 million, including more than $12 million in stolen checks which were posted for sale on the Telegram channel OG Glass House, and more than $8 million in stolen U.S. Treasury checks. Shannon and Carter have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit financial institution fraud and theft of government money, property, or records and are awaiting sentencing.

Protect Your Mail

The U.S. Attorney’s Office advises the public to take the following steps to protect their mail and avoid becoming a victim of mail theft:

♦ Promptly Retrieve Mail: Collect your mail daily and avoid leaving it in the mailbox overnight.

♦ Secure Mailboxes: Use secure, lockable mailboxes for incoming and outgoing mail.

♦ Inquire About Overdue Mail: If you have not received valuable or important mail you’re expecting, contact the sender to inquire about it.

♦ Don’t Send Cash: Avoid mailing cash, gift cards, or other items of value. When doing, so utilize the package tracking and signature confirmation options.

♦ Hold Mail When Away: Use the USPS Hold Mail service when you are out of town.

♦ File a Change of Address: When moving, file a change of address with USPS.

♦ Report Suspicious Activity: Immediately report any suspicious individuals or activities near mailboxes to local law enforcement.

♦ Monitor Financial Statements: Regularly review bank and credit card statements for any unusual activity.

♦ Sign up for Informed Delivery and get daily digest emails that preview your mail and packages scheduled arriving soon.

♦ Customers are encouraged to report stolen mail as soon as possible by submitting an online complaint to the Postal Inspection Service at www.uspis.gov/report or calling 877-876-2455.

Additionally, report the theft to your local police department to ensure they are aware of potential criminal activity in your area. Individuals are also encouraged to report allegations of Postal Service employee misconduct, including attempts to corrupt a Postal Service employee, to the USPS OIG at 1-888-877-7644 or www.uspsoig.gov.