EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A federal grand jury has brought a 10-count indictment against three Metro East residents for allegedly running a mail theft scheme from collection boxes in Fairview Heights.
Tylann J. Starks, 29, of Swansea, faces one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, four counts of bank fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of conspiracy to steal U.S. mail. Tiara D. Johnson, 32, of Cahokia Heights, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of bank fraud, and one count of conspiracy to steal U.S. mail. Jamil Jackson, 51, of Fairview Heights, faces one count of conspiracy to steal U.S. mail, one count of theft of a specialized key to access U.S. Postal receptacles, and one count of making false statements to a federal law enforcement officer.
“Thieves are targeting mail collection boxes as a site to commit fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Law enforcement is committed to investigating individuals who steal checks from the mail and manipulate the payee and amount sections to personally enrich themselves.”
According to court documents, Starks purchased an arrow key from former postal employee Jackson to gain access to mail collection boxes throughout the Metro East. Agents conducted an undercover purchase of a second arrow key from Jamil Jackson for $1,000. Starks and Johnson would search collection boxes for checks in order to exploit bank account and personal identifying information from victims from February 2020 through February 2023.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is charged with defending the nation’s mail system,” said Inspector in Charge Ruth Mendonça. “With the collaborative investigative efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies, Postal Inspectors investigate and pursue those individuals who defraud unwitting victims by stealing their identities and attacking their personal well-being.”
Starks and Johnson would then cash, deposit, or otherwise negotiate the stolen and counterfeit checks at area businesses, banks, and ATM machines in Belleville, East St. Louis, and O’Fallon. If convicted, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud charges are punishable by up to 30 years’ imprisonment; aggravated identity theft and stealing post office keys can carry sentences of up to 10 years’ imprisonment; conspiracy to steal U.S. mail and false statement convictions can garner up to five years in federal prison.
Agents with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General contributed to the investigation. An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant, and under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
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Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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