A Michigan man was sentenced to 10 years in prison after a multiagency probe found an online market sold roughly 10,000 stolen checks with a combined face value of more than $63 million.
A federal judge sentenced Jaiswan Williams, 32, of Rochester Hills, to a decade behind bars for his role in a broad mail-theft operation that trafficked stolen checks online. He was the last of four people convicted in the scheme, which relied on postal employees who diverted checks from the mail. The case exposed how inside access, digital marketplaces, and electronic payments combined to enable large-scale fraud.
Co-defendant Daquan Foreman, 32, of Eastpointe, received a 48-month sentence, while Vanessa Hargrove, 40, and Crystal Jenkins, 32, received 12 months and one day, respectively, with Jenkins also placed on three years of supervised release. All four were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Judith E. Levy. Hargrove and Jenkins were United States Postal Service employees who diverted checks and other negotiable instruments for sale.
Williams and Foreman acted as administrators of online marketplaces that listed stolen checks for buyers to purchase, with prices set according to each check’s face value. Court records say the two Postal Service employees provided stolen checks to Williams and Foreman in exchange for payments. The sellers posted the inventory in messaging channels and completed transactions off-platform using a variety of electronic payment systems.
Investigators found that more than 10,000 individual checks were marketed through the channels, amounting to a face value of over $63 million. Purchasers then attempted to fraudulently cash those checks using various methods, which produced real victims when funds were stolen from people trying to pay bills or collect refunds. One Telegram channel, called “Whole Foods Slipsss,” advertised higher-dollar checks while another, “Uber Eats Slips,” sold lower-value items; “slips” is the slang for stolen checks in these operations.
“The sentencings in this investigation represent the hard work and dedication by USPS OIG Special Agents working alongside our federal law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring charges in this mail theft investigation.” said Tammy Hull, Inspector General, U.S. Postal Service, “The OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the U.S. Mail and ensuring the accountability and integrity of Postal Service employees and those external subjects who collude with them.”
“The sentencings in this case underscore the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s dedication to safeguarding the nation’s mail system and holding to account those who seek to exploit it and, by extension, the American public,” said Detroit Division Inspector in Charge Felicia B. George. “Let this be a warning: if you abuse the U.S. Postal Service and victimize the citizens who rely upon it, we will utilize every avenue and tool at our disposal to prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”
Williams’s sentence also reflected a money laundering conviction stemming from activity since October 2022 and his admission to submitting fraudulent pandemic unemployment insurance claims. He accepted responsibility for $1.5M in fraudulent pandemic unemployment insurance benefit claims submitted between August and December 2020 using the personally identifiable information of dozens of individuals. The conduct added weight to the court’s decision to impose a lengthy custodial term.
“The stealing of checks is not a victimless crime. The stolen checks belonged to citizens, to help them make payments for vital services or help through a tough time,” said Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd, Detroit Field Office, IRS‑CI.“With today’s sentencing, all of those responsible are now held to account for exploiting the public and undermining trust in critical government systems. We are committed, along with our law enforcement partners, to using our unique expertise to track intricate financial systems, find criminals, and hold them accountable for the crimes committed.”
“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,” said TIGTA Special Agent in Charge Andrew McKay. “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.”
“Jaiswan Williams exploited his platform as a rapper, using his celebrity status to rip off American taxpayers. These criminal acts will not be tolerated. We remain relentless in this war on fraud and will ensure every fraudster that attempts to undermine the American people receives their prison sentence. I want to thank the United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners that support this critical mission,” said Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor.
The investigation was led by the U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, TIGTA, and the Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General. Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office handled the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Particka listed as the prosecuting attorney. The multiagency effort underscores how federal partners are coordinating to dismantle schemes that exploit mail and financial systems.
