Eight individuals from Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas have pleaded guilty to participating in a scheme involving the theft of mail and bank fraud. The group used a stolen United States Postal Service (USPS) arrow key to access mail deposit boxes across the Oklahoma City area, targeting checks that were then altered and deposited into accounts controlled by members of the conspiracy. U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester announced the guilty pleas.
Court records indicate that Derry Lee Davis obtained the stolen USPS arrow key in 2022 and, along with Antajaun Monzelle Brown Jr., searched for checks in stolen mail. Davis and Brown would change details on these checks so they could be deposited into bank accounts belonging to other conspirators who agreed to participate. To recruit additional participants, Davis, Brown, Amaurion Ramone Norment, and others advertised their scheme on social media platforms.
According to prosecutors, Dazjuan Jerae Demond Matthews, Amarion Adrione Whiteside, Olivernaesha Olieah Woods, Lorenzo Jones IV, Matei Leann Bass, and others joined the conspiracy by allowing forged checks to be deposited into their bank accounts in exchange for a share of the proceeds.
Brown, Davis, Norment, Matthews, and Whiteside have all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Each faces up to 30 years in federal prison. Brown also pleaded guilty to an additional count related to a separate check fraud scheme in Illinois and could face another 30 years if convicted on that charge. Woods, Jones, and Bass each pleaded guilty to forgery of securities charges with potential sentences of up to 10 years in federal prison.
“This case is the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service,” according to the press release. “Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackson D. Eldridge is prosecuting the case.”
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
