A former U.S. Postal Service employee in North Carolina has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for stealing over $750,000 in U.S. Treasury checks from the mail.
Zerion Marcos Franklin, who worked at the mail processing annex in Fayetteville, was convicted of stealing and altering checks, including federal tax refunds, VA benefits, and Social Security disability payments.
Franklin’s scheme was uncovered in June 2024 when Fayetteville police officers conducted a traffic stop of his vehicle. During the stop, officers discovered drug paraphernalia, marijuana packaged for sale, a loaded 9mm handgun, and over $22,000 in cash. They also found 47 U.S. Treasury checks made payable to various individuals and entities, all dated between April and May 2023.
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Further investigation revealed that Franklin had stolen an elderly victim’s tax refund check from the mail, altered it to reflect his name as the payee, and cashed it at a Walmart in Fayetteville. In total, investigators determined that Franklin had stolen over $750,000 in Treasury checks.
“Our American postal service is a public trust, staffed with civil servants bound to prioritize the public’s interests above personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. “Most postal employees honor their oath, faithfully delivering billions of parcels every year. This postal employee is the rare exception, stealing three quarters of a million dollars in U.S. Treasury funds, including tax refunds, from the mail and robbing hardworking American taxpayers in the process. The consequence is clear: steal mail, face prison.”
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“We appreciate the outstanding effort by both our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice,” said Kathleen Woodson, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Office of the Inspector General (USPS-OIG). “The vast majority of Postal Service employees are honest, hardworking individuals who would not violate the public’s trust in this manner. An employee who decides otherwise, will be aggressively investigated by OIG Special Agents. This case serves as an excellent example of the successful collaboration between our federal and state law enforcement partners, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to pursue and prosecute Postal Service employees.”
Franklin was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III to 48 months in prison and three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay full restitution to the U.S. Treasury.
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