Providence postal workers arrested on mail theft charges
By News Staff
Two Providence mail sorters were arrested and charged with conspiracy to steal U.S. Treasury checks from the mail.
Providence Police and the US Postal Service Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation which led to the seizure of about $1.6 million worth of U.S. Treasury checks and over $165,000 in proceeds from the sale of those checks and other items allegedly stolen from the mail.
On Tuesday, investigation leaders announced the arrest of four individuals in the case:
Joan Manuel Mustafa, 36, of Providence, on charges of conspiracy, embezzlement, theft of public money (U.S. Treasury checks) and theft of mail; Erick Vera Garzon, 35, of Providence, on charges of conspiracy, embezzlement, theft of public money (U.S. Treasury checks) and theft of mail; Brenda Canuelas, 39, of Providence, on charges of conspiracy, theft of mail, theft of government money in excess of $1,000, forging endorsements on Treasury checks in excess of $1,000, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft; and Secundino Velazquez Tirado, a/k/a Jesus Rivera, 45, of Providence, on charges of conspiracy, theft of mail, theft of government money in excess of $1,000, forging endorsements on Treasury checks in excess of $1,000, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
The investigation began in September of last year after a number of Treasury checks sent to Rhode Island and Massachusetts residents went missing. The checks were handled by employees at the Providence Processing and Distribution Center. Investigation revealed that many bank accounts were opened in the name on those missing checks by individuals other than the true owner of the check. Checks were deposited in amounts ranging from a few thousand dollars to over $10,000. Most of the bank accounts were opened in Rhode Island. Some were opened in Massachusetts, New York, and in the southeast United States.
The two postal employees, Joan Manuel Mustafa and Erick Vera Garzon, co-workers on the night shift, were allegedly stealing U.S. Treasury checks from the mail while the mail was being sorted. Investigators discovered that Garzon was allegedly selling many of the stolen checks on the street at 20% of face value to local buyers and buyers in New York.
© WLNE-TV 2015
