Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
A Chelsea man, Josman Romero-Delgado, was sentenced on April 7 in federal court in Boston for his involvement in a scheme to deposit checks stolen from the mail. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Patti B. Saris sentenced Romero-Delgado, 24, to time served—approximately four months in prison—and three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $39,157 in restitution after pleading guilty in November 2025 to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to steal and possess stolen mail.
The case highlights ongoing concerns about mail theft and financial fraud schemes that target both individuals and institutions. Such crimes can lead to significant financial losses for victims and undermine trust in public services like the postal system.
According to court documents, Romero-Delgado and his co-conspirators stole mail from United States Postal Service collection boxes between June 2023 and February 2024 with the aim of stealing checks. They used chemicals to wash handwritten ink from the checks before reissuing them either to themselves or accounts they controlled. After depositing these fraudulent checks, they withdrew funds from ATMs or purchased money orders using the illicit proceeds. Investigators found evidence of collaboration among co-conspirators through a review of their cellphones.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the sentencing along with Thomas A. Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives Boston Field Division; and Jason Buckley, Acting Inspector in Charge for the Boston Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The announcement noted valuable assistance provided by local police departments as well as prosecution by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lucy Sun and Philip C. Cheng.
This case is part of a broader initiative under Executive Order 14159 called Protecting the American People Against Invasion—a Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) effort targeting criminal cartels and transnational organizations operating within or affecting communities across America.
