Three charged in metro-east mail theft scheme, feds announce

A federal grand jury indicted three people on multiple charges stemming from a scheme to steal mail from collection boxes in the metro-east, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois announced Wednesday.

Tylann J. Starks, 29, of Swansea was charged with 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, from Cahokia Heights, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft and one count of conspiracy to steal U.S. mail.

Jamil Jackson, 51, whose address was not listed, was charged with 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.”

The U.S. Postal Service uses specialized keys to open mail collection boxes, Crowe’s office said.

Starks is accused of buying an arrow key from Jackson, a former postal employee. Jackson also allegedly sold a second arrow key to undercover agents for $1,000, the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated.

“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,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Jackson also is accused of stealing mail from his route and giving it to Starks.

“The conspirators also used the stolen account information to generate counterfeit checks,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated. “ 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.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. postal inspectors and Office of Inspector General special agents are investigating the case, said Dennis Bishop, special agent in charge of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Central Area Field Office.

“The majority of postal employees are hard working public servants dedicated to moving mail to its proper destination,” Bishop said. “The USPS OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the U.S. mail and ensuring accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees.”