Robert J. "Bob" Troester U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma
Eight people from Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas have pleaded guilty to their roles in a bank fraud conspiracy involving hundreds of forged checks stolen from mail deposit boxes across the Oklahoma City area. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to public records, Derry Lee Davis possessed a stolen United States Postal Service (USPS) arrow key beginning in 2022. He and other conspirators used the key to access and steal mail from deposit boxes throughout Oklahoma City in search of checks. Davis and Antajaun Monzelle Brown then altered information on the stolen checks so they could be deposited into the bank accounts of other conspirators who agreed to participate in the scheme.
Court records indicate that Davis, Brown, Amaurion Ramone Norment, and others advertised their scheme on social media, seeking individuals interested in making quick money. Dazjuan Jerae Demond Matthews, Amarion Adrione Whiteside, Olivernaesha Olieah Woods, Lorenzo Jones IV, Matei Leann Bass, and others agreed to join the conspiracy by allowing forged checks to be deposited into their bank accounts in exchange for a portion of the proceeds.
Brown, Davis, Norment, Matthews, and Whiteside each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and face up to 30 years in federal prison. Brown also pleaded guilty to an additional count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud for his involvement in a similar but separate check fraud scheme in Illinois and faces up to another 30 years in prison. Woods, Jones, and Bass pleaded guilty to forgery of securities and face up to 10 years in federal prison.
The case resulted from an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackson D. Eldridge is prosecuting the case.
"Reference is made to public filings for additional information."
