A former bank manager is facing federal charges for her alleged role in a mail theft scheme involving two U.S. postal carriers and a convicted felon.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) says that when Tonya Bailey was employed as an assistant manager at a Georgia bank she allegedly helped open a fraudulent account to deposit a $4.9 million U.S. Treasury check that was stolen from the mail.
The DOJ says that the stolen check is part of a larger scheme and allegedly involved Georgia-based U.S. Postal Service carriers Shanda Goode and Carnisha Hamilton. Goode and Hamilton are accused of stealing mail containing checks, credit cards, gift cards and other items of value over a five-year period to sell them to Francina Juantez Sutton, who has prior felony convictions for theft, forgery and identity fraud.
In the case of the $4.9 million U.S. Treasury check, Sutton is accused of entering Bailey’s bank branch in February 2023 when she allegedly helped him open a bank account that resembled the name of the payee listed on the stolen check. Sutton and Bailey then allegedly deposited the stolen check into the new bank account.
Sutton allegedly returned to the same bank branch two weeks later and drew two $150,000 cashier’s checks from the account. Sutton is then accused of using stolen personally identifiable information to open two new bank accounts with the alleged help from Bailey. Sutton and Bailey then allegedly deposited $300,000 into the new accounts.
The U.S. Secret Service seized over $4.7 million from the fraudulently opened bank accounts.
A federal grand jury indicted the alleged schemers on March 24th.
Goode, Hamilton and Sutton are now facing federal charges for conspiracy and theft of mail by a postal employee.
Sutton and Bailey are charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, money laundering conspiracy, money laundering and aggravated identity theft. Sutton was also charged with possession of stolen mail, access device fraud and felon in possession of a firearm.
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