A Rochester man has admitted to participating in a bank fraud scheme involving stolen checks, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo. Sheldon Marquis Adams, 26, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, a charge that carries a potential sentence of up to 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford stated that Adams worked with others between March and September 29, 2023, to obtain hundreds of checks stolen from U.S. Postal Service mailboxes in the Rochester area. The group forged or altered these checks in order to withdraw funds from the corresponding bank accounts.
According to prosecutors, Adams used social media platforms to recruit people who would cash or deposit the fraudulent checks into their own accounts and then withdraw the money before banks could identify the fraud. Those who successfully cashed the checks gave most of the proceeds back to members of the conspiracy in exchange for a small payment.
On September 29, 2023, authorities found Adams with 15 pages of blank check stock paper and about 335 stolen checks taken from postal collection boxes between April and June 2023. Some of these checks had been chemically altered using acetone.
The fraudulent activity affected approximately 227 individuals and 36 businesses as well as several financial institutions. The total value of stolen and altered checks was estimated at around $516,912.
"The plea is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Postal Inspector-in-Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Kevin Sucher, and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith."
Sentencing for Adams is scheduled for March 25, 2026.
