The courts have sentenced two former USPS employees for stealing and selling U.S. Treasury checks out of the JFK Mail Facility, resulting in prison time, forfeitures, and restitution tied to more than $4 million in stolen funds.
Two former United States Postal Service employees were sent to prison this week after pleading guilty to stealing government funds. Kevaughn Wellington, 33, of Jamaica, New York, and Ky-mani Straker, 26, of Orange, New Jersey, faced federal charges and received distinct prison terms from United States District Judge Diane Gujarati.
Wellington was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to forfeit $100,000, and Straker was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to forfeit $57,945.56. The defendants were further ordered to pay $405,696.98 in restitution. The defendants each previously pleaded guilty to stealing government funds and conspiring to steal government funds.
“The former postal workers abused their positions of trust at the JFK Mail Facility to fraudulently obtain Treasury checks intended for the well-being of hard-working individuals to whom the funds were owed, and kept the proceeds for themselves,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. That plain statement sums up why prosecutors pushed for serious penalties: these were not small-time mistakes but an organized exploitation of taxpayer-funded checks.
The thefts took place at the USPS facility serving John F. Kennedy International Airport, where Wellington worked as a mail clerk. From about June 2021 through August 2023, he and others removed parcels that contained Treasury checks, then sold those checks for a cut of the face value. Straker participated in selling checks and, in some cases, falsely endorsed and deposited them into accounts he controlled.
“The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity throughout the Postal Service and its workforce. The special agents of the USPS OIG will vigorously investigate those who choose to steal U.S Mail and defraud the American public. The sentence imposed on the defendants will serve as a reminder that there are severe consequences when individuals commit crimes targeting the U.S Mail. The USPS OIG is thankful for the great longstanding relationships we have developed with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to combat mail theft,” stated USPS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Modafferi.
Federal investigators tied Wellington and his co-conspirators to more than 125 stolen Treasury checks carrying a combined face value in excess of $4 million. The checks included Social Security benefits, COVID relief payments, and tax refunds meant for other people. Authorities also recovered more than 350 photos and videos from Wellington’s phone showing checks not addressed to him or Straker, which helped build the case.
“The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) aggressively investigates individuals who attempt to exploit U.S Treasury refund checks meant for hard working taxpayers for their own private gain,” stated TIGTA Special Agent in Charge Carpenter. “TIGTA’s mission is to protect the integrity of our nation’s tax administration system. We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who violate federal laws are prosecuted to the fullest extent possible.”
“These defendants undermined the public’s trust in our mail system by stealing more than $4 million in Treasury checks meant for people who were expecting those funds,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “We rely on the integrity of the postal network, and today’s sentencing holds these fraudsters accountable for their illegal and selfish acts. Because of the work of our investigators, law enforcement partners, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, we have dismantled this fraudulent operation.”
The government’s case was handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs and General Crimes Sections, with Assistant United States Attorney Elias Laris in in charge of the prosecution. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division to focus on schemes that steal or misuse taxpayer dollars, and those efforts align with President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, New York; Matthew M. Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge, United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office; Matt McCool, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service, New York Field Office; Michael L.J. Carpenter, Special Agent in Charge, United States Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration; Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department; and Matt McCool, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service, New York Field Office, announced the sentences.
