Five former US courier carriers were among the 11 people indicted on Thursday on charges of stealing credit cards from the courier.
The 18-month conspiracy involved postmen stealing credit cards and other financial instruments from the post office to sell them in cash or other items, federal prosecutors said.
Two defendants even obtained Social Security numbers and people’s birth dates, allowing them to activate stolen credit cards and use them in stores like Best Buy, Walmart and Meijer, according to the Northern Illinois District Attorney.
Three Chicago women – Rebecca Okunoren, 28, Monique Love, 29, and Dominique Sykes, 28 – are among former wallets accused of conspiring to steal mail and commit fraud on unauthorized access devices, prosecutors said. The other two accused postmen are Jessica Jefferson, 32, from Broadview, and Myiesha Weaver, 34, from College Park, Georgia.
Six other Chicago area residents are also charged with conspiracy to steal mail: Davey Hines, 28; Billye Harris, 26; Terrance Scales, 29; Stephon Johnson, 33; Loreal Ross, 31; and Brittnay Shepard, 28.
Hines, Harris, Johnson and Ross were also charged with fraud in unauthorized access devices and aggravated identity theft, prosecutors said.
“These prisons represent our commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to maintain integrity and trust in the United States’ mail,” said Andre Martin, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service’s Chicago Great Lakes Area Field Office. United. “Most postal workers are hard-working government employees who are dedicated to transporting mail to the correct destination.”
Several defendants were arrested on Thursday and have already appeared in court, prosecutors said.
The federal investigation, called Operation Cash on Delivery, already sparked charges last summer against five other people, including four former postal workers.