Former USPS Worker Charged with Stealing $1.7 Million in Checks

A former United States Postal Service (USPS) worker, Hachikosela Muchimba, has been charged with mail theft and bank fraud after allegedly stealing checks from the mail and depositing them into his own bank account. The scheme lasted for 18 months between October 2021 and March 2023, resulting in Muchimba netting nearly $1.7 million. Muchimba, 43, had been employed at a USPS branch in Washington, D.C., since 2020.

According to the D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office, Muchimba’s modus operandi involved removing the payee’s name from the checks and replacing it with his own. Many of the checks were U.S. Treasury checks. Surveillance cameras at various banks reportedly captured Muchimba withdrawing the money from ATMs.

The total amount of checks deposited by Muchimba during the specified period was $1,697,909.52. If convicted, Muchimba faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison for bank fraud and five years for mail fraud.