A 46-year-old New Haven man who federal officials said stole checks, driver’s licenses, passports, Social Security cards, banking information and other personal information from hundreds of mailboxes across Connecticut will spend more than six years in federal prison, according to the United States Attorney.
United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut Vanessa Roberts Avery said in a news release that a 46-year-old New Haven man and his then-girlfriend stole mail from hundreds of mailboxes in Connecticut from at least 2018 through November 2019 and some of the victims were elderly nursing home residents.
Stream Connecticut News for free, 24/7, wherever you are.
WATCH HEREInvestigators identified more than 70 bank fraud victims.
Federal officials said the couple used stolen identities to produce fake identification, and then used it to cash or deposit stolen checks.
Get top local Connecticut stories delivered to you every morning with the News Headlines newsletter.
SIGN UP Federal officials said they also used the stolen checks to create additional forged copies of checks that they then cashed or deposited into accounts they opened using stolen identities.
The man was arrested on Nov. 14, 2019.
Federal officials said they found several drivers’ licenses and identification cards with photographs of Williams or Morrison with different names and addresses; multiple passports; social security cards; drivers’ licenses; around 50 debit and credit cards in the victims’ names; notebooks with handwritten information about victims; around 130 checks, some showing signs of alteration, written from and to potential victims; items used to alter checks and make false identifications; and trash bags filled with stolen mail.
Local
He has been ordered to pay $116,152 in restitution to his victims.
He pleaded guilty on May 19 to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney.
Federal officials said his girlfriend pleaded guilty to the same offense and was sentenced to time served.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service and the Hamden, Wallingford, Waterford, Guilford and Old Saybrook police departments investigated.
Individuals who believe they are a victim of mail theft may file a complaint by calling 888-USPS-OIG or by visiting https://www.uspsoig.gov/form/file-online-complaint.
Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox.
