A former postal carrier with the U.S. Postal Service in Richmond pleaded guilty yesterday to theft of mail.
Wendy Lawrence, 40, stole mail, removing gift cards, checks and other items of value for her own use. Law enforcement recovered stolen mail from Lawrence’s residence belonging to more than 180 victims.
According to court documents, after stealing checks from the mail, Lawrence used the bank account and routing information on those checks to initiate electronic payments, which she used for such expenses as her tax bill, pest control bill and rent.
On at least one occasion, to prolong and conceal the fraud scheme, Lawrence initiated a fraudulent address change with the USPS on behalf of a victim, rerouting the victim’s mail to her own address.
Law enforcement also recovered checks from Lawrence’s residence that she forged for her own benefit including checks in the name of at least 30 other individuals.
Lawrence faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
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Crystal Graham
