Related Federal Cases
- Marquis Williams Sentenced to Mail Theft, Hartford CT, 2023 · New Mexico
- Jamila Williams-Stevenson, Bank and ID Theft, CT 2024 · Washington
- Willie C. Grant, ID Theft and Tax Refund Fraud, Macon GA, 2008 · Pennsylvania
- James Dunham, Mail and Wire Fraud, Boston MA, 2023 · New Mexico
- Silvia Maria Garcia-Coyado Sentenced to ID Theft Scheme, Houma LA, … · New York
Defendant Sentenced to 6 Years for Mail Theft Scheme
Marquis Williams, a 46-year-old New Haven man, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for operating a mail theft, identity theft, and bank fraud scheme in Connecticut. U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant handed down the sentence in Hartford, followed by five years of supervised release, for Williams’ crimes.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Williams and his then-girlfriend, Dara Morrison, stole mail from hundreds of residential mailboxes in Connecticut from at least 2018 through November 2019. The mail pieces contained checks, driver’s licenses, passports, social security cards, banking information, and other personally identifying information from businesses and individuals throughout Connecticut, including elderly nursing home residents.
Williams and Morrison used stolen identities to produce fake identification, and then used the fake identification to cash or deposit stolen checks. They also used the stolen checks to create additional, forged copies of checks that they then cashed or deposited into accounts they opened using stolen identities. Morrison also used and attempted to use stolen credit cards.
Williams was arrested on November 14, 2019, and investigators searched his residence and vehicles, finding numerous drivers’ licenses and identification cards with photographs of Williams or Morrison, but with different names and addresses; multiple passports, social security cards, drivers’ licenses, and other documents in the names of victims; approximately 50 debit and credit cards in the names of victims; notebooks containing handwritten identifying information of victims; approximately 130 checks, some showing signs of alteration, written from and to potential victims; items used to alter checks and make false identifications; and trash bags filled with stolen mail.
More than 70 bank fraud victims were identified during the investigation, and Judge Bryant ordered Williams to pay $116,152.26 in restitution to his victims. On May 19, 2022, Williams pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Morrison pleaded guilty to the same offense and was sentenced to time served on April 18, 2023.
Williams’ and Morrison’s criminal histories include prior federal convictions for similar crimes. In 2002, Williams was sentenced to 51 months of imprisonment for conspiracy, identity fraud, and credit card fraud offenses.
U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery thanked the State’s Attorneys for the Judicial Districts of New Haven, Fairfield, Middlesex, Ansonia/Milford, New London, Norwich, and Stamford/Norwalk for their cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter. Individuals who believe they are a victim of mail theft may file a complaint by calling 888-USPS-OIG or by visiting https://www.uspsoig.gov/form/file-online-complaint.
Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
