Former Salem County Man Admits Role in Stolen Check Scheme

CAMDEN, N.J. – A former Salem County, New Jersey, man admitted his role in a scheme involving checks stolen from the mail and other sources, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.

Dezhon McCrae, 25, formerly of Penns Grove, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court to a six-count information charging him with two counts of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, possession of a stolen postal key, possession of stolen mail, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Count One

From May 2018 through February 2020, McCrae was part of a “card cracking” conspiracy in which the conspirators obtained stolen checks from the mail and other sources. They then used the stolen checks to create counterfeit checks with the same routing and account numbers for deposit into area banks. Next, the conspirators posted advertisements on social media, seeking individuals who had bank accounts and were willing to give the conspirators access to their accounts. The conspirators then deposited the counterfeit checks into the compromised banks accounts. The conspirators transferred as much money as possible out of the accounts before the banks discovered that the deposits were fraudulent. The conspirators were able to defraud the victim banks of over $274,000. McCrae’s role in this scheme resulted in over $10,000 loss to the victim banks. Three other codefendants have already been sentenced in connection with this scheme and three additional codefendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

Count Two

After being charged via federal complaint for the conduct alleged in Count One of the information, McCrae engaged in a second scheme to commit bank fraud. From May 11, 2022, to July 27, 2022, McCrae participated in a nearly identical scheme to defraud another bank. This time, the victim bank suffered over $14,000 of loss due to McCrae’s offense.

Counts Three and Four

On Aug. 18, 2023, while the complaint for the allegations in Count One were still pending, McCrae was residing in Paulk County, Georgia. Local police were dispatched to McCrae’s residence in response to eye-witness reports of a shooting. The investigation of the shooting led to the discovery of a stolen postal mailbox key and stolen mail in McCrae’s residence.

Count Five

During the investigation of the Aug. 18, 2023 shooting at McCrae’s residence, local police obtained a warrant to search McCrae’s cellphone. The cellphone was found to contain evidence that McCrae had manufactured a fraudulent New Jersey driver’s license in the name of a real person, but using the photograph of a conspirator. The cellphone evidence also showed that McCrae mailed the false ID to his conspirators in Camden in late June 2023. On July 3, 2023, the false ID was used in an attempt to cash a stolen check at a bank in New Jersey. The bank’s employees were suspicious of the fraudulent ID and the conspirator fled the bank before the stolen check was cashed.

Count Six

The search of McCrae’s cellphone also uncovered evidence of his role in a conspiracy to commit two robberies of letter carriers in Cumberland County, New Jersey. The target of the robberies was the letter carriers’ postal mailbox keys. The first robbery occurred in Fairfield Township on June 13, 2023, when a masked assailant assaulted the letter carrier and successfully stole the postal mailbox key. The second robbery occurred on July 3, 2023, in Vineland. On this occasion, a masked assailant attacked the letter carrier from behind, striking him and spraying him with a cannister of bear repellant. The second robbery was unsuccessful in stealing the letter carrier’s postal mailbox key.

Conspiracy to commit bank fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. Unlawful possession of a postal key carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. Possession of stolen mail carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory consecutive term of two years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. Conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 6, 2025.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Postal Inspector’s Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division; andspecial agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas, with the investigation. U.S. Attorney Sellinger also thanked the Paulk County (Georgia) Sheriff’s Department, the New Jersey State Police, the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office, the Glassboro Police Department, and the Cherry Hill Police Department.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew B. Johns of the Criminal Division in Camden.