ST. LOUIS – In a stunning admission, Cambria M. Hopkins, a 30-year-old postal carrier from Florissant, Missouri, has pleaded guilty to orchestrating a sophisticated scheme to steal checks from the mail and sell the access keys that facilitated the crime.
Hopkins, who served as a postal carrier in Clayton, admitted her role in a conspiracy aimed at obtaining personal and business checks. These checks were intended to be used for fraudulent purposes. On March 20, 2022, she sold her ‘arrow key,’ which provides access to U.S. Postal Service collection boxes, to Malik A. Jones, who was then able to pay others to steal mail using the key.
From August 2022 to August 2023, Hopkins stole mail at both the Post Office and on her delivery route. She sold the stolen checks to Jones multiple times, receiving payments in cash, via CashApp, or in groceries. The total value of the transactions remains unknown.
Hopkins is set to be sentenced on December 1, facing potential penalties that include up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the conspiracy charge, as well as a maximum sentence of 10 years for unlawful use of a mail key. Jones, now 28, pleaded guilty to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft on October 25 and is also awaiting sentencing.
The investigation into this case was led by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow prosecuting on behalf of the United States.
Jones confessed to recruiting individuals who allowed him to use their bank accounts for depositing forged checks stolen from the mail. His actions are a stark reminder of the lengths some will go to exploit the postal system for personal gain.
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Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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