Desmond Aldo McKelvey, Bank Fraud Conspiracy And Aggravated Identity Theft, North Carolina 2025

A Charlotte man was sentenced to 54 months in prison for his role in a scheme involving stolen checks.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Desmond Aldo McKelvey, 44, was sentenced to 54 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. On June 13, 2025, McKelvey pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

According to court filings, from June to September 2023, McKelvey and his co-conspirators defrauded financial institutions through a scheme involving stolen checks, including U.S. Treasury checks. McKelvey and others obtained the stolen checks online or through other means, and then used fictitious identification in the names of the victims to whom the checks were payable to open bank accounts. McKelvey then deposited the stolen checks and withdrew the funds before the financial institutions could detect the fraud. The total face value of checks associated with the conspiracy exceeded $900,000.

“Mr. McKelvey had plenty of opportunities to realize what he was doing was wrong – he stole checks, created false identification documents, and opened bank accounts in someone else’s name,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “This crime is heavy burden on both its victims and our financial system, and we will work hard to prosecute and prevent it.”

“The defendant schemed to steal checks, used phony identification, and then redirected the money for personal use,” said Special Agent in Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins. “IRS-CI will continue its investigative efforts working alongside the U.S. Attorney’s Office to protect the integrity of our nation’s tax administration system and the American taxpayers.”

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service values its law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of North Carolina who helped bring this investigation to a successful conclusion.

McKelvey will be ordered to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended IRS-CI and USPIS for their investigation and thanked the Huntersville Police Department for its substantial assistance.

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