United
States Attorney
Northern District of Texas
1100
Commerce St., 3rd Fl.
Dallas, Texas 75242-1699
Telephone (214) 659-8600
Fax (214) 767-0978
www.usdoj.gov/usao/txn
DALLAS MAN ARRESTED FOR MAIL THEFT
U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper announced today that a contract mail courier, who was arrested last night by United States Postal Inspectors, made his initial appearance today in federal court. Awunor Jackson Ikechukwu, age 46, of Dallas, is charged in a federal criminal complaint with mail theft. Ikechukwu appeared before the Honorable Irma C. Ramirez, United States Magistrate Judge, who released him on bond.
According to the affidavit filed today with the criminal complaint, approximately two weeks ago, PNC Bank advised the U.S. Postal Inspection Service of stolen and counterfeit checks coming from their lockbox operation located at 1200 Campbell Road in Richardson, Texas. A lockbox operation is a mail processing location in a facility owned by a bank that sorts checks to be deposited into their clients’ accounts. It allows the checks to be deposited in a more timely manner than the company itself delivering the checks to the banks. The checks were from mail that was mis-sent or mis-delivered to the PNC lockbox operation and were to be returned to the U.S. Postal Service by a Telesis Courier Service. The courier service picks up the checks from PNC and delivers them to the Dallas Main Post Office. Awunor Jackson Ikechukwu was the Telesis courier that had this route.
Yesterday, while conducting surveillance, U.S. Postal Inspectors observed Awunor Jackson Ikechukwu pick up these checks and load them into his vehicle for delivery to the Dallas Main Post Office. Ikechukwu was observed rifling through the mis-sent mail from PNC Bank and was also observed throwing various pieces of mail out of his vehicle. A search of Ikechukwu’s vehicle revealed approximately 19 checks hidden near the radio in the passenger section of his vehicle. He admitted stealing the mail; nearly $500,000 in stolen checks were recovered.
U.S. Attorney Roper praised the investigative efforts of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul Macaluso.
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