Charleston Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Bank Fraud and Possession of Stolen Mail

CHARLESTON, W.Va. –  United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced today that Samantha Miller, 36, of Charleston, was sentenced to one year in federal prison for the felony offenses of bank fraud and possession of stolen mail matter. After Miller completes her sentence of federal incarceration, she will be placed on supervised release for a term of five years.  Miller is also required to pay restitution back to the victim banks in the amount of $1,965.51.

“Miller stole a number of checks from the mail and attempted to alter and cash them for herself,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “In addition to her one year prison sentence, she will also pay restitution to the victims for the almost $2,000 she fraudulently received through her scheme.”

Samantha Miller previously pled guilty and admitted that in 2018 she traveled to various banks in Kanawha County and she presented stolen checks that had been altered in an attempt to cash them.  On January 28, 2018, she successfully cashed an $800 check to obtain money that did not belong to her and that was not under her lawful control.  On February 9, 2018, she was caught in possession of a number of stolen checks that had been taken from the United States mail.  Samantha Miller knew that she possessed stolen mail matter and was in the process of further altering these checks to attempt to cash them.  In total, she received nearly $2,000 that did not belong to her through manipulating checks that had been stolen from the U.S. mail.

The United States Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Dunbar Police Department, and the West Virginia State Police conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes handled the prosecution. 

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:19-cr-00114.

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