Several individuals have pleaded guilty or been sentenced in connection with a large-scale bank fraud conspiracy involving stolen checks from the U.S. mail, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer on July 16 in Camden, New Jersey.
Juawan Reed, 30, of Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania and a former postal worker, admitted on July 15 before District Judge Edward S. Kiel to conspiring to commit bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, theft of public money, theft of U.S. mail, money laundering, and filing a false income tax return. Christopher Hayman, 30, of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty on July 14 to conspiring to commit bank fraud. Tyree Holmes, 34, also of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty on June 22 to the same charge. Kharon Parson-Wright and Yasmene Johnson of Marlton were each sentenced earlier this year to 57 months’ imprisonment for their roles in negotiating stolen checks as part of the conspiracy.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Reed stole checks while working at the U.S. Postal Service Camden Carrier Annex and provided them to Holmes and Dante Ford for resale or fraudulent negotiation. In one instance from December 2022 involving a $686,541 United States Treasury check payable to a Pennsauken business, Hayman posed as the business’s CEO to open an account into which the check was deposited; funds were withdrawn before detection by the bank.
Reed also admitted creating and using stolen identities for financial accounts used in laundering proceeds from these crimes as well as failing to report illicit earnings on his tax returns. The total actual loss caused by this scheme exceeded $2.4 million, with intended losses surpassing $20 million.
Apart from Reed’s activities at work-related facilities, Ford and others stole checks from blue collection boxes—counterfeiting or altering them before negotiation at banks across southern New Jersey, with some written for tens of thousands of dollars. Parson-Wright connected Johnson with a bank employee who created fraudulent debit cards tied to victim accounts; these were used for purchases and ATM withdrawals resulting in actual losses exceeding $400,000.
Ford and three other defendants had previously been sentenced after pleading guilty regarding related conspiracies involving some described stolen checks—with sentences ranging up to 33 months’ imprisonment.
For Reed alone: charges carry maximum penalties including up to thirty years’ imprisonment for conspiracy; additional mandatory consecutive sentences apply for aggravated identity theft among other offenses such as money laundering or filing false returns.
Sentencing is scheduled later this year: October through November for Reed (November 17), Hayman (November 16), and Holmes (October 27). Investigations involved multiple agencies including postal inspectors under Inspector Christopher A. Nielsen; IRS Criminal Investigation under Special Agent Jenifer L. Piovesan; Treasury Inspector General Michael Carpenter; Mount Laurel Police Department Chief Timothy Hudnall also assisted.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Bender (Camden) and Sara Aliabadi (Special Prosecutions Division). Defense counsel are listed individually per defendant.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey prosecutes federal crimes statewide—including cases like this—and represents the United States in civil matters across Newark, Trenton and Camden offices while advancing community safety through law enforcement coordination programs staffed by about 170 personnel, according to its official website.