Brenda Canuelas, 39, and her accomplice, Jesus Rivera, 45, both of Providence, R.I., have landed in hot water after pleading guilty to cashing in a large sum of stolen U.S. Treasury checks.
According to court documents, the pair conspired with one another to cash between $81,463 and $107,006 worth of stolen United States Treasury checks. The scheme was uncovered by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) and detectives from the Providence Police Intelligence and Organized Crime Unit.
The investigation, which began in September 2014, revealed that the stolen checks were being deposited into bank accounts in the name of the true owner, usually with a slight alteration. The accounts were then drained by cash withdrawals from ATMs, the purchase of goods and services, or by the purchase of money orders.
USPS-OIG agents reviewed surveillance photographs and videos from area banks and retail stores and identified Canuelas and Rivera as the individuals responsible for depositing the stolen checks. The duo was arrested on May 19, 2015.
Canuelas and Rivera pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of converting stolen U.S. Treasury checks. They will be sentenced on December 15, 2015.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gerard B. Sullivan. Federal agents from the Veterans Administration Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Treasury Office of Inspector General assisted in the investigation.
Brenda Canuelas, 39, and Jesus Rivera, 45, pleaded guilty to conspiring with one another to cash between $81,463 and $107,006 worth of stolen United States Treasury checks. They will be sentenced on December 15, 2015.
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Key Facts
- State: Rhode Island
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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