A second man accused of raiding mailboxes in Northeast Florida and stealing checks and money orders found inside has been arrested, federal prosecutors announced.
Two men from Jacksonville drove through the city with others to steal “large amounts of mail” from residents and businesses, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. They are also accused of doing the same in Fleming Island and St. Augustine.
They kept checks and money orders from the stolen mail, deposited the money into their bank accounts “and then used ATMs to make immediate withdrawals,” prosecutors said.
According to prosecutors and an indictment, between October 2019 and February 2020, a money order worth nearly $500 and seven checks worth more than $60,000 were deposited into bank accounts by the two men and “others acting on their behalf.”
On December 13, federal authorities arrested one of the two men named in the indictment, the Attorney General’s Office said in an April 17 news release. The other man was arrested on March 26, court records show.
According to prosecutors, they are both charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, eight counts of bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit mail theft and theft of mail.
Attorneys assigned separately to represent the men did not immediately respond to requests for comment from McClatchy News on April 18.
According to the indictment, the men are accused of changing the amounts of some money orders and checks before depositing the items at banks, allowing them to withdraw more cash.
Prosecutors have not specified how many pieces of mail were stolen by the men and others accused of being involved in the theft. Only the two men were identified in the release and indictment.
The men each face up to 30 years in prison for the eight counts of bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and up to five years for the other charges, prosecutors said.
If convicted, they could also be ordered to pay restitution to the people and companies they stole from, prosecutors said.
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