CLEVELAND – Rebecca C. Lutzko, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, announced that a federal grand jury sitting in Cleveland returned a sixteen-count indictment charging seven men with Mail Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, and Wire Fraud.
A joint investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Highland Heights Police Department, North Royalton Police Department, Brooklyn Heights Police Department, Shaker Heights Police Department, and USPS Office of Inspector General led to the arrests on September 11, 2023, of Nathaniel Sturdivant, 23, Euclid; Marcus Winn, 20, Cleveland; Dashawn Dumas, 24, Cleveland; Mohamed Mohamed, 21, Willoughby Hills; and Jayland Ware, 21, of Shaker Heights. On September 13, 2023, Larry Reynolds, 21, Maple Heights; and Lorenzo Nettles, 20, of Euclid, turned themselves in to the U.S. Marshals.
The seven individuals were indicted for their roles in a check-fraud scheme in which checks were stolen from the U.S. mail and altered or forged, then deposited into various accounts for withdrawal.
These arrests follow guilty pleas by eleven other defendants involved in similar criminal activities throughout the Northern District of Ohio. The United States Postal Inspection Service is aggressively investigating cases involving theft from postal carriers and the U.S. Mail.
“Offenses like these compromise the integrity of our mail system and harm not only the individuals whose mail is stolen, but the public at large,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko. “The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to work with the United States Postal Inspection Service and other state and local partners to aggressively prosecute criminals who steal from the U.S. Mail and abuse our community’s banks.”
“These recent arrests should serve notice to would be criminals that the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is dedicated to defending the nation’s mail system from criminal activity, preserving the integrity of the U.S. Mail, and protecting United States Postal Service employees and customers”, said Inspector In Charge Lesley Allison. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service values our law enforcement partners for supporting our mission to protect the integrity of the U.S. Mail.”
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation was conducted by United States Postal Inspection Service and the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph P. Dangelo.
The Postal Inspection Service is the federal agency with jurisdiction for investigating crimes against postal carriers and crimes involving the U.S. Mail. Anyone having information about blue collection box thefts should contact USPIS at 1-877-876-2455. All information will be kept confidential.
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