According to police, a U.S. Postal Service employee was detained last week on suspicion of stealing over 20 checks from the mail and depositing $281,000 into multiple bank accounts in her name.
According to the U.S. attorney’s office, Joivian Tjuana Hayes, 36, of Compton, California, was charged with one count of bank fraud and, if found guilty, could receive a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison.
According to authorities, Hayes, a supervisor at the Orange County Costa Mesa Post Office, has been stealing about two dozen checks from the office since July.
According to prosecutors, Hayes forged the payees’ signatures and deposited the cheques into her accounts at other banks. Authorities claim that one of these cheques was for almost $114,000.
According to prosecutors, surveillance camera footage purports to show Hayes depositing the pilfered cheques at ATMs in Compton, Fountain Valley, and Costa Mesa.
Authorities also suspect her of stealing gold coins and money valued at tens of thousands of dollars.
Hayes Compton’s home and her 2023 BMW were searched by federal authorities on Thursday.
The Office of Inspector General at the U.S. Postal Service looked into the situation.
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Los Angeles Times, 2024. Click here: atlatimes.com. Tribune Content Agency, LLC is the distributor.
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