CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal indictment was unsealed in court today, following the arrest and initial appearance of Jakia McMorris, 32, of Charlotte, who is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and money laundering conspiracy, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
A federal indictment was unsealed in court today, following the arrest and initial appearance of Jakia McMorris, 32, of Charlotte, who is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and money laundering conspiracy. McMorris, an employee of the United States Postal Service (USPS), is accused of stealing over $40,000 in checks.
According to allegations in the indictment, from at least May 2021, McMorris was an employee of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), working as a city carrier at the North Tryon Station in Charlotte. The indictment alleges that on or around September 13, 2021, McMorris reported that, while she was delivering mail, she lost a USPS universal key that could open many U.S. mailboxes.
After that day, McMorris allegedly stopped reporting for work at the USPS. Beginning in September 2021, McMorris and her co-conspirators executed a scheme to commit bank fraud by stealing more than $40,000 in checks, including from the U.S. mail. The indictment alleges that the co-conspirators used stolen universal USPS keys to open multi-unit outdoor mailboxes in Charlotte and steal mail.
The stolen mail included business checks. As part of the scheme, the indictment alleges that the co-conspirators deposited the stolen checks into bank accounts they controlled, including in bank accounts in McMorris’s name. It is alleged that the co-conspirators then quickly withdrew the cash from the accounts before the banks detected the fraud.
McMorris allegedly received a portion of the funds as payment for using her bank accounts to perpetuate the scheme. As part of the conspiracy, the indictment also alleges that the co-conspirators attempted to disguise the payments made to the defendant by using the fraudulent proceeds in McMorris’s bank account to purchase money orders, which McMorris then deposited back into her bank accounts.
McMorris was released on bond following her initial appearance in federal court today. The bank fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The money laundering conspiracy charge carries a statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.
McMorris, a resident of Charlotte, is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and money laundering conspiracy. The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked USPS-OIG for the investigation which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny Sugar with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
Related Federal Cases
- Camille M. Harris, Property Fraud Scheme, North Carolina, 2023 · North Carolina
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- Nancy Marie Stein Sentenced for Bank Fraud and Environmental Crime,… · Alabama
- Michael Smith, AI-Generated Song Fraud, Manhattan NY, 2023 · North Carolina
- Tracey Hernandez, Tax Fraud, Burlington NC, 2021-2022 · North Carolina
Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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