D.C. Grifter Harrod Sentenced in $900K UPS Scam

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Raekwon Malik Harrod, 25, of Washington, D.C., is headed to federal prison after admitting to a brazen scheme that cost two American companies over $900,000. Harrod was sentenced today for fraudulently exploiting UPS accounts, selling the resulting shipping labels online for personal profit. The case, a stark example of digital theft, was spearheaded by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Harrod pleaded guilty on January 5 to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Ana C. Reyes handed down a six-month and one-day prison sentence, followed by twelve months of home detention. Beyond the immediate loss of freedom, Harrod is obligated to pay a staggering $920,000 in restitution to the defrauded companies and will face three years of supervised release upon completion of his sentence.

The fraud began around 2020, when Carl Granada Wilson, Jr., a co-conspirator based in California, secured access to a company’s UPS account and shared the login credentials with Harrod. Harrod, in turn, passed the information to an accomplice in Maryland. Initially, the scheme was relatively contained – Harrod and the Maryland conspirator, both online shoe resellers, used the hijacked account to eliminate shipping costs for their own sales. Wilson reportedly authorized this limited use. But greed quickly took over.

By late 2020, Harrod and his Maryland partner expanded the operation, openly advertising and selling UPS shipping labels to third parties online. They churned out thousands of fraudulent labels using the compromised account, racking up losses exceeding $900,000 for the victim company. When access to the initial account was cut off in July 2021, the conspirators turned to Wilson, demanding $120,000 as payment for their silence. Harrod and his accomplice flew to Los Angeles, delivering nearly $70,000 in cash to Wilson, followed by an additional $50,000. Wilson, however, had no intention of compensating the original source of the account access, pocketing the entire sum.

The scheme didn’t end there. Wilson subsequently gained access to a second company’s UPS account, providing it to Harrod and the Maryland conspirator. They resumed selling fraudulent shipping labels, this time with Wilson’s full knowledge and participation. Wilson himself pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud on June 13, 2024, and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 31, 2024, before Judge Reyes. This isn’t just about stolen shipping labels; it’s a clear case of escalating criminal behavior driven by pure avarice.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman led the prosecution, with support from paralegal specialist Sonalika Chaturvedi, and former staff Michon Tart and Bryan Snitselaar. Case number 23cr0445 highlights the ongoing efforts of federal authorities to combat increasingly sophisticated forms of online fraud and hold perpetrators accountable. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the sentencing of Carl Granada Wilson, Jr.