An ex-employee of the U.S. Postal Service has been accused in an indictment of stealing checks from the mail and then depositing them in her own account.
Porcia Denise Rhodes, 26, of St. Louis, Missouri, was indicted on March 8 on four counts of bank fraud and one count of theft of mail by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service. She appeared in U.S. District Court in St. Louis and pleaded not guilty Wednesday.
The indictment alleges that between July 26, 2022, and Sept. 22, 2022, Rhodes stole checks from the mail, replaced the payee’s name on the check with her own, and then used a mobile device to deposit them. Rhodes altered and deposited or attempted to deposit 21 checks totaling $5,035, victimizing 21 people and 13 financial institutions, the indictment says.
The bank fraud charges are punishable by up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine, or both. The theft charge is punishable by up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Lane is prosecuting the case.
