A United States Postal Service (USPS) worker and two accomplices have been charged in connection with a massive scheme to steal and sell $24 million worth of checks from the mail. According to federal prosecutors, the checks were being sold through a Telegram channel.
Nakedra Shannon, 29, a USPS employee who had worked at a processing center in Charlotte, North Carolina, for around two years, is accused of stealing the checks between April and July of this year. Donnell Gardner, 27, and Desiray Carter, 24, were identified as co-conspirators by the U.S. Arroney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina.
The indictment revealed that Carter, who ran the Telegram channel called “OG Glass House,” was responsible for advertising the stolen checks for sale. Carter’s username on the messaging app was “SW1PER.” Gardner, on the other hand, would send the checks with the ill-gotten gains, with one half being split equally between Carter and Shannon, while Gardner would keep the remaining half.
In an undercover operation, law enforcement officers posed as buyers, and Carter directed them to a CashApp account and a Bitcoin wallet for transactions. The indictment disclosed that out of the stolen checks, approximately $8 million were U.S. Treasury checks.
All three suspects were apprehended this week and have since been released on certain conditions, according to court records. While an attorney for Shannon declined to comment, no response has been received from an attorney for Carter as of Friday evening. Gardner’s legal representation is currently unknown.
Federal prosecutors estimated that the three individuals earned “hundreds of thousands of dollars” through their illicit activities. The three suspects have been charged with one count of conspiring to commit financial institution fraud and five counts of stealing government property. Additionally, Carter and Gardner face seven counts of possession of stolen mail matter, while Shannon is charged with eight counts of theft of mail by a postal employee.
This shocking case highlights the vulnerability of the postal system and the lengths to which criminals will go to exploit it. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities will likely deploy additional resources to prevent such fraud in the future. The USPS will undoubtedly face scrutiny regarding its security protocols, prompting a need for enhanced measures to safeguard mail and public trust.
