Mail Theft Scheme Targets Millions in Federal Benefits

Clear Facts

• Two former USPS employees were sentenced to prison for stealing more than 4 million dollars in Treasury checks from the JFK Mail Facility.
• Kevaughn Wellington received five years behind bars and was ordered to forfeit 100,000 dollars, while Ky-mani Straker received 12 months and a 57,000 dollar forfeiture.
• The stolen checks included critical funds for American citizens such as Social Security benefits, tax refunds, and COVID relief payments.

Judicial authorities handed down sentences this week for two former postal workers who exploited their positions at a New York mail facility. The duo participated in a massive scheme to siphon taxpayer funds intended for hard-working citizens.

“The former postal workers abused their positions of trust at the JFK Mail Facility to fraudulently obtain Treasury checks intended for the well-being of hard-working individuals to whom the funds were owed, and kept the proceeds for themselves,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.

Between 2021 and 2023, the defendants stole over 125 checks and sold them for profit. Law enforcement discovered hundreds of images on one defendant’s phone showing checks belonging to unsuspecting victims.

“The defendants’ brazen selfishness not only violated the public trust, but directly harmed the citizens they were supposed to serve by illegally siphoning funds — resources those people were relying on — for their own personal gain,” stated USSS Special Agent in Charge McCool.

This prosecution aligns with a broader federal effort to eliminate fraud and abuse within government benefit programs. Both defendants have been ordered to pay more than 400,000 dollars in restitution to account for their greed.