4 suspects, including 2 postal workers, plead guilty for role in $63M Detroit mail theft conspiracy
WASHINGTON, DC MAY 27: A United States Postal Service (USPS) logo is seen on a mailbox in Washington, District of Columbia, May 27, 2025. (Photo by STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Four suspects from the Metro Detroit area who federal authorities say stole checks from the mail and sold them online all pleaded guilty, according to the Department of Justice.
Jaiswan Williams, 32, of Rochester Hills, Daquan Foreman, 32, of Eastpointe, Vanessa Hargrove, 40, of Detroit, and Crystal Jenkins, 32, of Detroit, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to aid and abet bank and wire fraud for their roles in the $62 million mail theft scheme.
The backstory:
Hargrove and Jenkins were United States Postal Service employees who feds say diverted and stole checks and other items from the mail, including a high volume of tax refund checks issued by the U.S. Treasury.
Investigators say Williams and Foreman were behind the online sales used to sell the checks. Hargrove and Jenkins provided the stolen checks to Williams and Foreman in exchange for payments.
Williams and Foreman would take those checks and market them for sale via Telegram Messenger, a cloud-based, cross-platform instant messaging application.
Prices varied based on the face-value of the checks.
Investigators say one of the Telegram channels, named "Whole Foods Slips," was used to advertise high-dollar checks, while another channel, named "Uber Eats Slips," advertised lower-dollar checks.
"Slips" is a term commonly used in these schemes to refer to stolen checks. Transactions were completed off-platform using a variety of electronic payment systems. Purchasers of these checks would then attempt to fraudulently cash them using a variety of methods.
What's next:
All four suspects face up to 30 years in prison for the conspiracy. Williams also faces up to 20 years on the money laundering charge.
Hargrove and Foreman are scheduled to be sentenced March 3, while Williams' sentencing is April 14, and Jenkins' sentencing is set for May 27.
The Source: This information is from the DOJ and previous reporting.