Two Danbury Residents Charged With Operating U.S. Postal Money Order Fraud Scheme

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANTHONY STERLIN CANTAVE, 34, and VENUS VERGES, 33, both of Danbury, were arrested today on an indictment charging them with participating in a conspiracy involving the theft of monies from the U.S. Postal Service.  The indictment was returned by a federal grand jury in New Haven on June 18 and the defendants were arrested today.

According to the indictment, between August and October 2013, CANTAVE and VERGES purchased U.S. Postal Service money orders in amounts ranging from $400 to $1000 at post offices in Fairfield County.  After the money orders were purchased, the defendants used a mobile banking application to deposit the funds into bank accounts they controlled.  Shortly after depositing the funds, the defendants returned to the post offices from which the respective money orders had been purchased, failed to disclose that they had deposited the funds, returned the money orders and were refunded their money.

CANTAVE and VERGES are charged with one count of conspiracy to convert public money, and offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.  In addition, CANTAVE is charged with 11 counts and VERGES is charged with five counts of conversion of public money, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.

CANTAVE and VERGES appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna F. Martinez in Hartford and entered pleas of not guilty.  They are currently detained.

The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford.

This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John H. Durham.

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

PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov