Four residents of the St. Louis area, one a former mail carrier, have received prison sentences for running a check fraud operation utilizing checks stolen directly from the mail, as per an announcement from U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus. The group's conspiracy, which spread from January 2022 until September 2023, ended with all members ordered to pay restitution totaling $44,135.
According to details from a U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Missouri, the key to USPS collection boxes was purchased by Johnathan Barnett from former carrier Wynter Hinton, enabling him and accomplices Ryan McKinney and Jayden Burklow to steal mail across St. Louis County. The alteration of the stolen checks and the usage of accomplice's bank accounts to deposit them was, their strategy to siphon funds before banks could flag the transactions as fraudulent.
During the sentencing, Hinton received a 12-month prison term handed down on August 5 by U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp. McKinney received his 28-month sentence on July 17, Burklow got 57 months in June, and Barnett, the operation's ringleader, was given an 80-month sentence in April. They attempted to defraud at least $800,000 through their scheme, although ultimately caught as they stretched the bounds of greed.
Barnett's arrest also turned up an arsenal including an AR-15-style rifle with a high-capacity drum magazine, four other firearms, and a range of check-making equipment on September 15, 2023. Inspector in Charge Ruth Mendonça, who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with jurisdiction over St. Louis, highlighted the commitment of postal inspectors to “seek justice for victims including those most vulnerable.” Dennus Bishop, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Central Area Field Office, also emphasized the collaborative efforts of law enforcement “safeguarding the U.S. Mail and ensuring the accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees,” as per the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The roles and responsibilities in the conspiracy were clear, Barnett, 30, and Hinton, 29, had pleaded guilty to counts including conspiracy to commit bank fraud, possession of stolen mail, and, in Barnett’s case, being a felon in possession of a firearm. McKinney, 25, and Burklow, 21, also pleaded guilty to similar charges relating to the scheme, solidifying the downfall of their illicit enterprise.
