NEW YORK (PIX11) -- Six individuals are facing charges in connection with a multi-million dollar check theft and bank fraud ring, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced Thursday.
The defendants allegedly stole checks from Postal Service collection boxes throughout New York from approximately January 2022 through July 2024, according to the indictment.
After stealing the checks, the defendants would alter the information on the checks either digitally or by chemically washing them to remove the ink, the indictment alleges. The defendants then either posted the altered checks for sale on a third-party messaging application or deposited them in bank accounts along the East Coast.
Charges in the indictment are listed below.
| Conspiracy to commit bank fraud | Michael Edwards, 30, aka "Only1Giela" Shakeemo Hill, 22, aka "Keemo", "LBA Menace", and "Lex" William Hill, 29, aka "Eway" and "Skinny" Alixandria Lauture, 27, aka "A$" Shuron Malone, 29, aka "First Name Last Name" |
| Conspiracy to commit theft of a postal key | Michael Edwards, 30, aka "Only1Giela" William Hill, 29, aka "Eway" and "Skinny" Carlos Mercado, 22, aka "Kiz" and "Kizzle" |
| Conspiracy to commit theft of mail and receipt of stolen mail, and sale and receipt of stolen money | Michael Edwards, 30, aka "Only1Giela" Shakeemo Hill, 22, aka "Keemo", "LBA Menace", and "Lex" William Hill, 29, aka "Eway" and "Skinny" Carlos Mercado, 22, aka "Kiz" and "Kizzle" |
| Theft of a postal key | Michael Edwards, 30, aka "Only1Giela" Carlos Mercado, 22, aka "Kiz" and "Kizzle" |
| Theft of mail and receipt of stolen mail | Michael Edwards, 30, aka "Only1Giela" Carlos Mercado, 22, aka "Kiz" and "Kizzle" |
| Aggravated identity theft | Michael Edwards, 30, aka "Only1Giela" Shakeemo Hill, 22, aka "Keemo", "LBA Menace", and "Lex" William Hill, 29, aka "Eway" and "Skinny" Alixandria Lauture, 27, aka "A$" Shuron Malone, 29, aka "First Name Last Name" |
“As alleged, the six defendants charged today lined their pockets by stealing checks destined for hard-working New Yorkers and others,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Together with our partners at the Postal Inspection Service, we will fight to protect the integrity of the U.S. mail system—a public service upon which millions of Americans rely every day to send items of financial, professional, and personal importance.”
Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
Ben Mitchell is a digital content producer from Vermont who has covered both local and international news since 2021. He joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of his work here.
English (US) ·