Justin Brooks, Mail Theft, Credit Card Fraud, New Jersey 2023

A Union County man admitted his role in a scheme to steal mail, commit credit card fraud, and defraud the United States.

Justin Brooks, 23, of Vauxhall, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to three counts of an indictment charging him with: one count of conspiracy to commit mail theft and bank fraud, and to defraud the U.S. Postal Service and U.S. Department of the Treasury; one count of receiving stolen mail; and one count of bank fraud.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, from July 2019 to Oct. 6, 2020, Brooks and his conspirators obtained credit cards stolen from the U.S. mail from a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier, fraudulently activated those credit cards, and then used those credit cards to make and attempt to make purchases without the cardholders’ authorization. The victims have incurred approximately $70,000 in losses from fraudulent purchases made using their stolen credit cards.

Brooks also schemed to fraudulently use over $13,000 of funds pre-loaded onto Economic Impact Payment (EIP) cards issued by the U.S. Department of Treasury and sent in the U.S. mail pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), that were also stolen from the mail.

The conspiracy and possession of mail theft charges are each punishable by a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $250,000. The bank fraud charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for July 20, 2023.

Brooks originally was charged with Jarid Brooks, 29, Kyle Williams, 37, and Kyjuan Hutchins, 23, also of Vauxhall, in October 2020. Jarid Brooks’ case is pending before Judge Cecchi, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Williams has pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit access device fraud and was sentenced. Hutchins has pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit access device fraud and is awaiting sentencing.

U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Postal Inspector in Charge Damon Wood, Philadelphia Division; special agents with the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, Northeast Area Field Office; and special agents with the Office of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Andrew McKay, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.

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