Four charged after $63M in checks stolen from the mail

[Lowell]

This is satisfying as a friend got victimized by this scam when he learned his City of Detroit taxes were in arrears. He had mailed in his payment but later learned it had been stolen and illegally cashed.

DETROIT – Four individuals were charged in an Information for their involvement in a $63 million scheme that involved stealing checks from the mail and selling them online, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced today.

Jaiswan Williams, 31, of Rochester Hills, Dequan Foreman, 30, of Eastpointe, Vanessa Hargrove, 39, of Detroit, and Crystal Jenkins, 31, of Detroit, were charged with conspiracy to aid and abet bank and wire fraud. Hargrove and Jenkins were United States Postal Service employees who diverted and ultimately stole checks and other negotiable instruments from the mail, including a high volume of tax refund checks issued by the U.S. Treasury. Williams and Foreman were the administrators of the online marketplaces used to sell the checks.

According to the Information, postal employees Hargrove and Jenkins would provide the stolen checks to Williams and Foreman in exchange for payments. Williams and Foreman would take those checks and market them for sale via Telegram Messenger, a cloud-based, cross-platform instant messaging application. Prices varied based on the face-value of the checks. One of the Telegram channels, named “Whole Foods Slipsss,” was used to advertise high-dollar checks, while another channel, named “Uber Eats Slips,” was used to advertise lower-dollar checks. “Slips” is a term commonly used in these schemes to refer to stolen checks. Transactions were completed off-platform using a variety of electronic payment systems. Purchasers of these checks would then attempt to fraudulently cash them using a variety of methods.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/pr...ing-two-postal

[Jimaz]

That use of "an Information" confused me. Later it says:

The public is reminded that an Information is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

What's missing is how to avoid becoming a victim of such crimes. That would help.

[Zacha341]

Crazy! I've received text messages claiming to be the city demanding I click a 'link' or be garnished for owed debt. Umm, I don't owe anything to the city and the COD has an official link to check if in doubt.

However, some apparently are falling for these schemes/ scams!

[jiminnm]

That use of "an Information" confused me.

That means that they were charged based on the information [[evidence) that has been gathered, and not charged by a grand jury.

[EASTSIDER BALDUCK]

Where did they divert checks? Carriers? Office? Transportation?

[canuck]

Where did they divert checks? Carriers? Office? Transportation?

My understanding is these crimes performed by postal workers carry big sentences when found guilty. I mean, if you steal or make bad checks, you can get away with much, but the kind of wholesale robbing of mailed items is a very serious federal offence. Same in Canada.