Georgia Man Sentenced to 45 Months In Prison For Possessing 216 Stolen Social Security Checks

LAFAYETTE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that Terry Ulysses Morris, 50, of Lithonia, Ga., was sentenced Wednesday, November 20, 2013 by U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik to 45 months in prison and three years of supervised release for possessing stolen U.S. mail. He pleaded guilty July 30, 2013.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, authorities pulled over Morris’ vehicle during a traffic stop on January 18, 2012, as he was driving eastbound on Interstate 10 through Calcasieu Parish.  A strong odor of marijuana prompted authorities to ask Morris if they could search the vehicle.  Authorities found two sacks containing 216 U.S. Treasury checks that had not been cashed.  The checks were from Social Security Administration accounts with Georgia addresses.  The face value for the checks totaled $144,920.  Morris admitted that he traveled to Houston to find someone to cash or buy the checks.  He could not find buyers because the checks were so old that most of the intended recipients had requested that replacement checks be issued.  Morris was driving back to Georgia when he was stopped in Calcasieu Parish.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Calcasieu Anti-drug Task Force conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph T. Mickel prosecuted the case.