Little Elm Mail Center Operator Admits $1M Wire Fraud

SHERMAN, TX – Joey Earl Cooper, 35, of Little Elm, Texas, is facing a decade behind bars after admitting to a brazen wire fraud scheme that siphoned over $1,001,360.92 from unsuspecting customers and Citibank. Cooper pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant in the Eastern District of Texas, a confession secured after years of investigation.

The scheme, unfolding between April 2011 and July 2012, centered around Cooper’s operation of Darmaini & Cooper BG, Inc., a business registered in Frisco, Texas, and a private postal center in Little Elm. Cooper exploited the trust of his customers, using Citibank credit cards provided solely for postage payments to funnel funds into a Wells Fargo account under the control of his company. Instead of covering mailing costs, Cooper systematically transferred the money to his own account for personal use.

Federal authorities say Cooper wasn’t just skimming a few dollars. The indictment, handed down by a grand jury on August 13, 2014, details a calculated effort to defraud. He allegedly used the customer’s credit card details to initiate unauthorized transfers, effectively stealing their money and using it as a personal slush fund. The scope of the fraud only came to light after a lengthy investigation.

The IRS Criminal Investigation division brought Cooper down. Special Agents tracked him to JFK International Airport in New York on September 14, 2014, where he was arrested. The feds didn’t mess around; the arrest signaled a serious intent to prosecute the case to its fullest extent. This wasn’t some small-time hustle; it was a calculated theft impacting multiple victims.

Now, Cooper is staring down the barrel of up to 10 years in federal prison. In addition to imprisonment, he faces forfeiture of the $1,001,360.92 he illegally obtained. While a sentencing date hasn’t been set, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Andrew Williams, is expected to push for a significant penalty.

This case serves as a stark reminder that financial crimes, no matter how cleverly concealed, will be pursued by federal investigators. The IRS Criminal Investigation division continues to aggressively target individuals who abuse financial systems for personal gain, ensuring that justice is served and victims are made whole – or at least, receive some measure of it. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case as it moves toward sentencing.