United States Attorney
Northern District of Texas

1100 Commerce St., 3rd Fl.
Dallas, Texas 75242-1699

Telephone (214) 659-8600
Fax (214) 767-0978

MOTHER AND DAUGHTER SENTENCED
TO FEDERAL PRISON AFTER ADMITTING ROLE IN
STOLEN MAIL / BANK FRAUD SCHEME

Two local women were sentenced today in federal court in Dallas for their role in a stolen mail and bank fraud scheme they operated, announced United States Attorney Richard B. Roper.

Dallas residents, Laquietta Bell, age 38, was sentenced by the Honorable A. Joe Fish, United States District Judge, to 21 months imprisonment and ordered to pay $1701 in restitution. Her daughter, Lashazzel E. Bell, age 21, was sentenced by Judge Fish to 2 months and ordered to pay $568 restitution.. In July, Laquietta Bell pled guilty to one count of possession of stolen mail contents and Lashazzel Bell pled guilty to one count of bank fraud. Laquietta Bell is presently in custody on state charges, and Lashazzel E. Bell is in federal custody after her personal recognizance bond was revoked last month.

During September and October 2004, Lashazzel E. Bell defrauded Bank of America by using accounts she opened at Bank of America to deposit a stolen and forged check and then using the funds for her own benefit. Lashazzel E. Bell obtained the stolen check from another Dallas woman, Latresha Shantae Brantley, who had worked as a contract custodian at the Ferris Main Post Office in Ferris, Texas. In July 2004, Brantley stole boxes of blank checks from post office boxes at the Ferris Post Office and gave some of the blank stolen checks to Lashazzel E. Bell and Laquietta Bell. In July and August 2004, Brantley drove Laquietta Bell to several stores where Laqiuetta Bell used stolen checks to pay for merchandise. In fact, on several occasions Laquietta Bell and Lashazzel E. Bell used stolen checks that Brantley had given them to pay for merchandise at various retail stores. Brantley pled guilty in federal court in September 2005 to theft of stolen mail matter and was sentenced in December 2005 to three years probation and ordered to pay restitution.

United States Attorney Roper praised the investigative efforts of the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney David L. Jarvis prosecuted the case.

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