Courts: Postal worker indicted for mail theft schemes

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - A postal worker has been indicted on charges related to mail theft.

Jakia McMorris, 32, of Charlotte was charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and money laundering conspiracy.

Court documents show McMorris was an employee of the U.S. Postal Service when around Sept. 13, 2021, she reported losing a universal USPS key that could open many mailboxes. She allegedly stopped reporting to work the next day.

The indictment’s allegations accuse McMorris and co-conspirators of enacting a scheme to commit bank fraud by stealing more than $40,000 in checks from the mail. The other conspirators allegedly used stolen keys to open multi-unit outdoor mailboxes in Charlotte to steal mail.

As part of the scheme, the indictment alleges the co-conspirators deposited the stolen checks into bank accounts they controlled, including in bank accounts in McMorris’ name. It is alleged the co-conspirators then quickly withdrew the cash from the accounts before the banks detected the fraud. McMorris allegedly received a portion of the funds as payment for using her bank accounts to perpetuate the scheme.

Next, they allegedly used fraudulent proceeds in McMorris’ bank account to buy money orders, which were then deposited back into her bank accounts.

Meanwhile, charges were filed against Douglas Gumbs, 38, of Charlotte for mail theft and related charges in an unrelated case.

Court documents reveal he allegedly engaged in a mail theft and bank fraud scheme by stealing “large quantities” of mail in Charlotte between 2022 and April 2023.

He was found with more than 850 individual pieces of stolen mail.

The indictment alleges Gumbs deposited the stolen checks into bank accounts he controlled and withdrew the funds before the financial institutions learned that the deposited checks were stolen. The indictment further alleges that Gumbs engaged in identity theft by creating false identification documents in the names of individuals whose mail Gumbs had stolen. Gumbs then allegedly used the victims’ stolen identities in furtherance of the fraud, including to access the victims’ bank accounts and to open new bank accounts in some of the identity theft victims’ names.

Neither of the accused has gone to trial yet, and they are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

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