Former Postal Employee Charged with Stealing Checks from Mail; Fraud and Identity Theft Offenses

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a 10-count indictment charging KIERRA BLOUNT, 34, of Stamford, with fraud, identity theft, and mail theft offenses.

The indictment was returned on March 26, 2024, and unsealed yesterday.  Blount is currently being sought by law enforcement.

The indictment alleges that Blount, at times while employed by the U.S. Postal Service in Stamford, stole mail and obtained stolen mail for the purpose of obtaining checks that were payable to other individuals.  In approximately November 2021, Blount opened a bank account using the name and social security number of an individual without the identity theft victim’s knowledge.  Blount and others fraudulently changed the payee names on stolen checks to the name of the identity theft victim, forged the victim’s signature on the back of the checks, and deposited them into the bank account Blount opened.  From November 2021 until the account was closed in April 2022, Blount and others deposited tens of thousands of dollars in fraudulent checks into the account.  They then used the funds for their own purposes.

The indictment charges Blount with eight count of bank fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years on each count; one count of aggravated identity theft, an offense that carries a mandatory term of imprisonment of two years; and one count of unlawful possession of stolen mail, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.

U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Stamford Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shan Patel.