Carlos Canjura, Mail Theft and Bank Fraud, California 2023

Former Customs Officer Convicted of Stealing Checks and Money Orders

A federal jury has convicted Carlos Canjura, a 54-year-old former US Customs and Border Protection officer, of stealing checks and money orders from the International Mail Facility in Torrance, California.

According to court records, Canjura was assigned to the IMF, where his duties included examining mail and parcels coming into the United States for contraband, counterfeit goods, and possible fraudulent financial checks or credit cards.

During the three-day trial, federal prosecutors proved that Canjura stole personal checks, traveler's checks, and money orders from international mail. He then informed his co-conspirator about the stolen checks using coded language and gave the stolen checks to his co-conspirator, who fraudulently endorsed the checks or altered them before depositing the checks at ATMs or through mobile phone applications.

Canjura stole well over 100 checks with a cumulative value of at least $65,000. The public is entitled to use the mail system without fear that officials charged with safeguarding the mail are abusing it for their own benefit, said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker.

Canjura is scheduled to be sentenced on March 6 by United States District Judge Beverly Reid O'Connell. At sentencing, Canjura will face a statutory maximum sentence of 145 years. The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which received assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Office of Professional Responsibility and CBP's Office of Professional Responsibility.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bryant Yang and Special Assistant United States Attorney Ashwin Janakiram of the General Crimes Section.

Mandatory Facts: Defendant: Carlos Canjura, 54, of Van Nuys, California. Criminal Charges: Conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and possession of stolen mail. City and State: Los Angeles, California. Date: March 6, 2023. Sentence: 145 years. Dollar Amount: At least $65,000.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/customs-officer-convicted-federal-jury-stealing-checks-and-money-orders-international