Veronica Skrine, 54, of Jacksonville, walked into federal court a free woman — but not a clean one. Last week, U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis slapped her with two years of probation, including a month of home confinement, for her role in a brazen scheme to cash stolen U.S. Treasury checks using her position at a Jacksonville post office. Skrine pleaded guilty on November 18, 2016, to conspiracy to defraud the United States and theft of government property, crimes that bled taxpayers of over $44,000.
Skrine didn’t act alone. She teamed up with Lorne Jordan, a co-conspirator who wasn’t so lucky at sentencing. On August 23, 2016, Jordan was handed four years and three months in federal prison after being convicted of conspiracy, theft of government funds, and aggravated identity theft. Jordan must repay the Internal Revenue Service $120,713.09 — more than double what Skrine owes. Their operation ran like a shadow bank: using fake identities to deposit and cash checks drawn from federal coffers.
The mechanics of the fraud were simple, cold, and effective. Court documents reveal Skrine used her access as a U.S. Postal employee to accept Treasury checks made out to other people — people whose names she and Jordan exploited. In 2013, and again in 2015, they struck a deal: Skrine would process the checks through Postal Service funds, then hand over the cash. For every $1,000 she laundered, Skrine pocketed $100. It was a tidy cut for a crime that undermined the trust baked into every government-issued check.
As the scheme unraveled, federal agents moved in. The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Office of Inspector General, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and North Florida Financial Crimes Task Force all played key roles in exposing the operation. Their probe peeled back layers of fraud, linking stolen identities, falsified deposits, and illicit cash withdrawals — all routed through a trusted federal workplace.
Now, another postal employee faces the same courtroom spotlight. Badi Mohamed, 30, also of Jacksonville, was arrested on January 31, 2017, on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States, theft of government money, and theft of mail. If convicted, Mohamed could serve up to 10 years behind bars and must repay at least $20,741 to the IRS. The case, while separate in timing, echoes the same betrayal of public trust.
Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase is handling both prosecutions, pushing for accountability in a system where postal workers are gatekeepers to public integrity. These cases aren’t just about stolen checks — they’re about the corrosion of duty. Skrine walks, but she’s branded. Jordan sits in prison. And Mohamed awaits his day in court — all tied to a pattern of greed wrapped in a government uniform.
Related Federal Cases
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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