ATLANTA – An Augusta man has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty to using a U.S. Postal Service key to steal mail as part of a bank fraud scheme.
Earl Demetrius Overton, 32, was charged with bank fraud, aggravated identity theft and illegal possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Overton used master keys stolen from postal deposit boxes to steal mail, including business checks, from collection boxes in the Augusta area. He then altered the checks, deposited them into bank accounts, and withdrew more than $400,000 before the banks realized the checks were fraudulent.
Overton, a felon, was also caught with a firearm and loaded 15-round magazine, along with stolen bank checks, cash, financial documents, and debit cards.
“There were hundreds of citizens of this district who were victimized by the defendant’s conduct,” Margaret E. Heap, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, said Wednesday. “With the collaborative efforts of our law enforcement partners, fraudsters who use the mail to steal will be brought to justice.”
“This sentence serves as a reminder that the FBI will not tolerate criminal conduct, particularly when it involves someone in a position of trust defrauding individuals and institutions using stolen government property,” added Paul Brown, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Atlanta office.
Besides the prison sentence, U.S. District Judge J. Randall Hall also ordered Overton to pay a $2,000 fine, $300 in special assessments, and to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the FBI, and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.