Two Augusta men were sent to federal prison for using a postal key to steal mail and cash fake checks. They each got 10 years.
What’s Happening:
- Cameron Martinas Curry, 22, and Quavaun Enreco Rhodes, 22, were each sentenced to 120 months in prison, $2,000 fines, $400 in special assessments, and five years of supervised release. There is no parole in federal prison.
- Prosecutors say they got a U.S. Postal Service collection key, stole mail from blue boxes around Augusta, altered business checks, put them in co-conspirators’ accounts, and pulled the cash before banks flagged the fraud. They tried to steal more than $550,000.
Between the Lines: This scheme hit hundreds of victims, prosecutors said. That means local residents and small businesses lost time and money fixing fraud, closing accounts, and chasing refunds.
What It Means For You: Stolen mail can drain your bank account fast. Watch your mail, check your balance often, and report missing checks right away.
The Big Picture: Mail theft tied to check fraud is rising nationwide. Thieves target collection boxes and cluster boxes, then wash or alter checks. It can take banks weeks to unwind the damage. Officials say they will keep pushing cases like this to deter copycats.
The Sources: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.
