Two former postal workers face multiple charges in an alleged scheme in which they stole and sold U.S. Treasury checks, including Social Security benefits, tax refunds, and COVID-19 stimulus checks, the Justice Department announced.
The two defendants, Kevaughn Wellington and Ky-Mani Straker, are accused of conspiring to engage in a Treasury check theft scheme, which involved the theft of parcels containing the checks from the United States Postal Service (USPS) mail facility located at the John F. Kennedy International Airport, where they both worked, according to a July 9 press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of New York.
Mr. Wellington, whose USPS employment duties involved opening and unpacking sacks of mail that arrived at the JFK facility, allegedly stole parcels containing Treasury checks, according to an indictment. Then, together with Mr. Straker, Mr. Wellington allegedly sold the stolen checks to three other defendants, who then deposited them without the permission of the intended recipients.
“The former postal workers abused their positions of trust to allegedly pull one of the biggest thefts at John F. Kennedy International Airport,” U.S. Attorney Brean Peace, said in a statement.
As part of the scheme, which lasted between June 2021 and August 2023, Mr. Straker and Mr. Wellington are alleged to have stolen at least 125 Treasury checks, valued at more than $4 million. Mr. Straker’s alleged role in the scheme also involved falsely endorsing and depositing the stolen Treasury checks in a bank account and withdrawing the deposited funds for personal financial gain.
The other three defendants—Angel Ortiz, Mark Dawson, and Fuquan Bradley—each deposited and fraudulently endorsed Treasury checks that were not addressed to them. For their role in the scheme, the three face charges of theft of government funds exceeding $1,000 and passing Treasury checks bearing forged endorsements. Each count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Mr. Wellington and Mr. Straker have been charged with conspiring to steal government funds, theft of government funds, and possession of stolen mail. Mr. Wellington faces an additional charge of theft of mail by a postal service employee, while Mr. Straker has also been charged with passing Treasury checks bearing forged endorsements. The most serious charges carry a penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
“The charges allege these five defendants stole, sold, and fraudulently deposited millions of dollars in U.S. Treasury checks, which included pandemic relief payments, for their own financial benefit,“ Mr. Peace said. ”Criminals who cash in on checks stolen from the mail can expect to fill out change of address forms for the federal prison they will be calling home.”
Four of the defendants were arrested on July 9, while a fifth remained at large.
Mr. Peace credited multiple federal and local law enforcement agencies for their efforts leading to the arrest of the suspects, including the United States Postal Inspection Service, the USPS Office of Inspector General, the NYPD, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and the Secret Service.
Attorneys for the defendants, who are presumed innocent until proven guilty, were not immediately available for comment.
