EAST ORANGE, N.J. (1010 WINS) -- A man was charged in a conspiracy to steal and alter checks from the mail in New Jersey and fraudulently obtaining funds from banks by depositing them, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Baba Diakite, 21, of East Orange, was charged with bank fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to commit mail theft and possess stolen mail, theft and possession of a postal service key and aggravated identity theft, according to prosecutors.
Court documents state that Diakite from January 2020 to March 2022, allegedly conspired with others to steal checks from the mail in Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Somerset and Union counties.
The checks to third parties were then sold or deposited into the bank accounts of customers who provided them access as part of the scheme, officials said.
They also obtained stolen USPS keys which were used to directly steal mail from USPS receptacles, the indictment noted.
Diakite also created fake identities associated with the checks he stole, which his conspirators used to make fraudulent withdrawals from accounts, prosecutors said.
The bank fraud conspiracy is punishable by a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. The conspiracy to commit mail theft and possess stolen mail is punishable by a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and the theft and possession of stolen USPS keys is punishable by a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The bank fraud conspiracy also carries a fine of up to $1 million. All other charges are punishable by a maximum potential fine of up to $250,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss, whichever is greatest.
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