A former U.S. Postal Service employee from Carson has received a more than five-year sentence for her involvement in an extensive check and credit card theft operation that continued for three years. Mary Ann Magdamit, 31, was given a 63-month federal prison term after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, according to a press release from the Department of Justice.
Magdamit abused her position as a letter carrier to filch checks and credit cards directly from mail sent through the Torrance Main Post Office, thereafter she would sell the stolen goods to accomplices and splurged on luxury items and international holidays; the illicit endeavors were ostentatiously displayed on her Instagram account including images showcasing international trips to exotic destinations like Turks and Caicos and Aruba and pictures with luxury goods bought with the pilfered cards. U.S. District Judge John F. Walter also ordered Magdamit to pay restitution amounting to $660,200.
In a detailed search of Magdamit's apartment last December, law enforcement officials discovered 133 stolen credit and debit cards, 16 checks from the U.S. Department of Treasury, and a loaded "ghost gun"—an unserialized Glock-clone with an extended magazine. Notably, these illegal activities negatively impacted federally insured banks and credit unions, as well as individuals whose personal identifying information was compromised.
Following continuous engagement in fraudulent activities even after the initial discovery, Magdamit was arrested on July 1 with yet more stolen cards found during a subsequent search of her apartment, in spite of the fact that the Postal Service, however imperfect an institution, is entrusted daily with over 100 million pieces of first-class mail, and is a critical service for countless Americans including the most vulnerable who rely on the mail system to receive government benefits—this breach of trust undermines the integrity of a service considered foundational to the nation's communication network. "Especially for the poorest Americans, who are often unbanked, they rely on the mail to deliver their government benefits in the form of Treasury checks or EDD debit cards, precisely what [Magdamit] chose to steal," prosecutors emphasized in a sentencing memorandum, as reported by the Department of Justice.
Contributing to the investigation were the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the United Postal Inspection Service, and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, with Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Brown of the Major Frauds Section leading the prosecution. For further details about the case, Public Information Officer Ciaran McEvoy can be contacted through the Department of Justice.
