RALEIGH – A Fayetteville, North Carolina man, Darrell Alan Thompson, age 35, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison and five years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and possession of firearm by felon. The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution to the impacted financial institutions.
According to court documents and other information presented in US District Court, the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Raleigh Police Department initiated an investigation after receiving a large number of mail theft and check fraud reports in Wake County. It was discovered that a Postal Service “arrow key” was being unlawfully used to access and steal mail from official collection boxes located outside of government post offices throughout Wake County. The theft activity targeted checks that had been placed in the mail by postal customers. Thereafter, the subjects altered the checks by changing the payee information, deposited the checks into bank accounts, and withdrew the proceeds at local ATMs.
Thompson was identified on surveillance footage opening and stealing the contents of postal collection boxes between November 2022 and January 2023. Officers eventually tracked Thompson to the North Ridge Post Office parking lot in Raleigh and arrested him on the scene. A search of Thompson’s vehicle recovered, among other things, a 9mm pistol and a backpack containing multiple ammo magazines, approximately 180 stolen checks, and approximately 450 stolen AMEX gift cards. At the time the firearm was recovered, Thompson was a convicted felon.
Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief United States District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The United States Postal Inspection Service and the Raleigh Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Adam F. Hulbig prosecuted the case for the government.
