Two Plead Guilty in Conspiracy to Cash Stolen U.S. Treasury Checks

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Brenda Canuelas, 39, and Jesus Rivera, 45, of Providence, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence to conspiring with one another to cash between $81,463 and $107,006 worth of stolen United States Treasury checks, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr. and Rafael Medina, Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Area United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG).

Appearing before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Canuelas and Rivera pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of converting stolen U.S. Treasury checks. They are scheduled to be sentenced on December 15, 2015.

According to court documents and information presented to the court, in September 2014, USPS-OIG agents and detectives from the Providence Police Intelligence and Organized Crime Unit began investigating the circumstances surrounding a significant number of missing Treasury checks addressed to individuals in Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts. The investigation determined that many individual bank accounts were being opened in the name on missing checks, usually in a slightly altered form, by individuals other than the true owner of the check. The stolen checks were deposited in the accounts in amounts ranging from a few thousand dollars to more than $10,000. The accounts were then drawn down by cash withdrawals from ATMs, the purchase of goods and services, or by the purchase of money orders. Most of the bank accounts were opened in Rhode Island.

According to court documents, USPS-OIG agents reviewed surveillance photographs and videos from area banks and retail stores and identified two individuals who repeatedly made deposits of stolen U.S. Treasury checks, made cash withdrawals and made purchases using funds from the stolen checks. USPS-OIG agents and Providence Police Intelligence and Organized Crime Unit detectives worked together to identify the individuals as Brenda Canuelas and Jesus Rivera.

The defendants were arrested on May 19, 2015.  

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gerard B. Sullivan.

Federal agents from the Veterans Administration Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Treasury Office of Inspector General assisted agents from the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General and detectives from the Providence Police Intelligence and Organized Crime Unit in the investigation of this matter.

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