South Jersey men accused of stealing hundreds of checks from the mail to defraud banks

CAMDEN - Four South Jersey men are accused of taking part in a ring that defrauded banks with checks stolen from the U.S. mail.

The scheme operated from June 2022 to June 2024 in Atlantic, Camden, Cumberland and Gloucester counties, according to a criminal complaint.

Ring members deposited hundreds of checks at banks across South Jersey and elsewhere, "with each check written for amounts upwards of several thousand dollars," said the U.S. Attorney's Office for New Jersey.

It says the conspiracy operated in stages that began with the theft of checks from the mail — either by people who had unlawfully obtained "arrow keys" to Postal Service collection boxes or by corrupt postal workers.

The stolen checks then would be altered to increase their face value.

Marlton post office targeted: Mail thieves steal more than $160,000 in checks

They also were changed to be payable "to either a member of the conspiracy or somebody recruited by a member of the conspiracy."

A ring member would then deposit the fraudulent check, often in an ATM, and withdraw funds before the bank realized the check was bogus.

Charged with conspiring to commit bank fraud are Sicklerville residents Donovan Bunch, 22, and Quamell Keyes-Griffin, 21.

Also charged are Tracy Felder-Carter, 23, of Blackwood; and Dante Ford, 28, of Pennsauken and Sewell.

The charges are only allegations. No one has been convicted in the case.

Among other claims, the complaint says Pennsylvania State Police troopers in December 2022 stopped a vehicle carrying Felder-Carter and Keyes-Griffin for motor vehicle violations.

A search of the car found a gun, two arrow keys and two trash bags of mail that appeared to have been taken from blue mail collection boxes, says the complaint.

The car also held 11 debit/credit cards in the names of third parties.

Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal. Email: Jwalsh@cpsj.com.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: South Jersey men accused of stealing hundreds of checks from the mail to defraud banks