Two men from Richmond County, Georgia, have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a scheme involving mail theft, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Cameron Martinas Curry and Quavaun Enreco Rhodes, both 22 years old and residents of Augusta, were each sentenced to 120 months in prison. In addition to the prison terms, U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen Jr. ordered both defendants to pay $2,000 fines and $400 in special assessments. Upon release from prison, they will each serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents and statements made during sentencing, Curry and Rhodes obtained a United States Postal Service collection key which they used to steal mail from collection boxes around Augusta. The stolen mail included business checks that the defendants altered before depositing them into accounts belonging to co-conspirators. They then withdrew funds before banks could detect the fraudulent activity. The attempted theft totaled more than $550,000.
“There were hundreds of citizens of this District who were victimized by these two Defendants. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting and defending the nation’s mail system from illegal use and aggressively pursuing those who would commit fraud in this district. With the collaborative efforts of our law enforcement partners, fraudsters who use the mail to steal will be brought to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Heap.
“Stealing from the U.S. Mail and defrauding financial institutions are serious crimes that erode public trust,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI and our partners will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who abuse federal systems and victimize our communities for personal gain.”
“I am very grateful for our partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice, Southern District of Georgia. These individuals defrauded multiple citizens and businesses in our community, and that is simply unacceptable. Working together, we will continue to protect our residents and businesses from fraud, theft, and other crimes that undermine trust and financial security,” said Richmond County Sheriff Eugene Brantley.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service along with the FBI; prosecution was handled by First Assistant United States Attorney David H. Estes and Assistant United States Attorney Patricia Rhodes.
For further information or inquiries about this case or related matters involving federal prosecution in southern Georgia communities such as Augusta or Savannah, contact details for the U.S Attorney’s Office are available at (912) 652-4422.