Four individuals from Pennsylvania have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a large-scale check fraud scheme that involved stealing mail, altering checks, and depositing them into recruited bank accounts.
The ringleader, Naod Tsegay, 25, of Collingdale, Pennsylvania, received a 42-month sentence. His co-conspirators, Fode Bangoura, 23, and Zyier Williams, 21, both of Philadelphia, were each sentenced to six months in prison.
A fourth individual, Najae Thomas, 24, who operated a separate but similar scheme, was sentenced to 61 months.
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“When Naod Tsegay, the ringleader of this scheme, was arrested, police recovered multiple stolen keys capable of unlocking every blue USPS box across four local zip codes,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “The amount of mail stolen and the number of checks these defendants sought to alter and cash is significant. My office, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and our partners won’t allow criminals who target the U.S. Postal Service to disrupt the nation’s mail system and commit identity theft with impunity. As these cases prove, we will prosecute, and you will be held accountable.”
Between March and June 2021, Tsegay, Bangoura, and Williams recruited individuals to provide their bank account information.
They then stole checks from USPS collection boxes, altered the payee names and amounts, and deposited them into the recruited accounts. The total amount stolen or attempted stolen exceeded $150,000.
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Tsegay was found in possession of stolen checks, money orders, and USPS keys used to access collection boxes. Thomas was also found with stolen checks and USPS keys, and her scheme involved an intended loss of over $200,000.
The cases were investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
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