U.S. Postal Service Employee Orchestrates $364,000 Bank Fraud Scheme: U.S. Department of Justice

An employee of the United States Postal Service has admitted to abusing his position to power a bank fraud scheme.

According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), North Carolina resident Andre Whitehurst used his role as a postal clerk to steal incoming and outgoing checks from the mail.

He then sold those checks to co-conspirators, who deposited them into accounts opened under fictitious identities and withdrew the funds before banks could detect the fraud.

The scheme led to more than $364,000 in attempted losses.

Whitehurst pleaded guilty in June 2025 to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and theft of mail by a postal employee.

He has been sentenced to 15 months in prison and one year of supervised release, according to Russ Ferguson.

He also agreed to forfeit $74,000 and remains liable for restitution to victims.

His co-conspirators have also pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

The case comes amid a broader resurgence in check fraud, even as check usage declines.

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the number of checks processed annually has dropped sharply over the past three decades, yet fraud tied to stolen and “washed” checks has surged, driven by the continued circulation of billions of checks and vulnerabilities in the mail system.

Criminals often steal checks from mailboxes or collection boxes, alter them using common chemicals, and exploit delays in bank processing to withdraw funds before detection.

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