Jersey Men Charged in Stolen Mail Check Fraud

Four South Jersey Men Charged with Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud.Photo byMorristown Minute

Charges include altering and cashing stolen checks, with potential penalties up to 30 years in prison.

Four men from South Jersey have been officially charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, as announced by U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger. The defendants—Tracy Felder-Carter, 23, of Blackwood; Dante Ford, 28, of Pennsauken and Sewell; Quamell Keyes-Griffin, 21; and Donovan Bunch, 22, both of Sicklerville—appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Pascal.

The charge stems from a scheme where the accused allegedly obtained checks stolen from the U.S. mail, altered them to increase the monetary amounts, and changed the payee details to benefit members of the conspiracy or their recruits. These fraudulent checks, each reportedly written for thousands of dollars, were then negotiated at various banks across southern New Jersey and beyond.

According to court documents and statements made during their initial court appearance, the group engaged in the negotiation of hundreds of these altered checks, attempting to withdraw funds before the banks could detect the fraud.

This conspiracy to commit bank fraud carries a severe potential penalty, including up to 30 years in prison and fines of up to $1 million. The investigation leading to these charges was conducted by postal inspectors from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Philadelphia Division, led by Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen. Additional support was provided by the Pennsylvania State Police – Media Station, the Pennsauken Police Department, and the Springfield Township (Pennsylvania) Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden is representing the government in this case. It is important to note that the charges and allegations are merely accusations at this stage, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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