Alright, so get this – four dudes are in some serious hot water for allegedly swiping checks from the mail and cashing in over $50 million by changing the names and amounts on them, according to federal prosecutors. These guys supposedly deposited the altered checks at banks using the fake names and amounts they slapped on the legit ones. And get this, they even sold some of the stolen checks on this sketchy messaging platform called “White House Vibez,” as per the U.S. Postal Inspectors.
The whole operation apparently went down from New York to Florida, New Jersey to Texas. One of the suspects, Michael Pena from Woodridge, New Jersey, got nabbed in New York and hit with a bunch of charges like wire fraud, bank fraud conspiracy, and identity theft. Another dude, Joshua Gutierrez from New York, got busted in Florida. But hold up, two other guys from Manhattan, Harrington Delahoz and Jaysen Dorsey, are still out there somewhere.
So, apparently, Harrington Delahoz and Jaysen Dorsey are on the lam, wanted for their roles in this supposed fraud scheme. The U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton called it a “massive, multimillion dollar scheme to steal innocent victims’ money.” These guys allegedly got real checks, forged them, faked identities, sold them off, and tricked multiple banks into cashing them. Smooth criminals, huh?
Apparently, this whole thing has been going on since April 2023. The suspects were out here posting stolen checks on that sketchy messaging platform for sale, even throwing in fake IDs with social security numbers for good measure. Some of them were even bragging about their success on the app to attract more buyers. Real classy move, guys.
The Postal Inspectors are not messing around though. Acting Inspector-In-Charge Edward Gallashaw warned that they’ll shut down any criminal enterprise trying to make a quick buck off the American public. Looks like the gig is up, fellas.
No word yet on who’s representing these suspects, and calls to their homes for comment went unanswered. Using stolen personal info, these guys apparently figured out how much dough was in an account before altering the check to swipe the cash. The criminal complaint even has pics of Pena withdrawing the stolen money and getting caught in the act. Dude couldn’t catch a break, even in Georgia where he was first arrested on state identity theft charges.
It’s not just Pena though, officials have evidence of the other suspects depositing tons of fake checks at banks too. These guys are in deep trouble and could be looking at a max of 30 years in the slammer if they’re found guilty. Yikes.
So, there you have it – a wild tale of alleged check-stealing, fraud, and identity theft that’s got these four guys in a mess of trouble. Let’s see how this all plays out in the end. Stay tuned for more updates on this crazy case.
