Photo: United States District Court for the District of Columbia
A former United States Postal Service worker is facing charges after being convicted of stealing over $1.6 million worth of checks from individuals on his mail route.
According to PEOPLE, Hachikosela Muchimba, 44, was charged with 20 counts, including 10 counts of theft of mail and seven counts of bank fraud in connection to the nearly 100 checks he stole, which added up to an aggregate value of $1,697,909.52.
Muchimba allegedly used the checks to fund lavish vacations and trips to the strip club. During one vacation to the Bulgari Resort Bali in July 2022, Muchimba allegedly made a $14,532.94 debit card purchase.
"Muchimba used the proceeds of the stolen checks to fund a lavish lifestyle that included international travel, stays at luxury hotels, and purchases at gentlemen’s clubs," prosecutors with the Justice Department said in a statement.
According to prosecutors, most of the checks Muchimba stole from individuals on his mail route were their tax returns from the Treasury Department. Authorities started investigating Muchimba in January 2023 after someone reported that their treasury check of over $14,000 had been obtained and deposited in someone else's bank account.
The victim then "recognized the name and the address on the U.S. Treasury check as the same name and address that [their] mail carrier had used on a holiday card," Muchimba's criminal complaint reads. Investigators were later "provided copies of four additional U.S. Treasury checks that were fraudulently negotiated" into the same account.
According to the complaint, investigators ultimately discovered roughly 98 misappropriated checks that were deposited in seven bank accounts controlled by Muchimba. Muchimba would even deposit checks and withdraw stolen funds while still wearing his U.S.P.S. uniform, surveillance footage shows.
A jury found Muchimba guilty of all 20 counts he's facing on Friday (March 14). His sentencing is scheduled for August.
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