Latest news with #HachikoselaMuchimba
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Yahoo
USPS worker steals $1.6M mostly in tax return checks; goes to strip clubs, luxury resorts
**Related video above: How to avoid being scammed WASHINGTON (WJW) — A former United States Postal Service worker has been convicted of stealing more than $1.6 million in checks that never made it to their indented destination. Ohio woman caught after 'months on the lam,' pleads guilty to stealing $1.5M from Medicaid Hachikosela Muchimba, 44, had been charged with mail theft and bank fraud, with a jury finding him guilty of all 20 counts on March 14, the United States Attorney's Office said in a statement. The Washington, D.C., resident stole private party and U.S. Treasury checks between December 2020 and March 2023, changing the checks to be made out to himself or falsely endorse them, according to court documents. Most of the U.S. Treasury checks were found to be tax returns, People magazine learned from a criminal complaint, and Muchimba deposited them across at least seven bank accounts. Another plane incident at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport: I-Team During that time, Muchimba lived quite a lavish lifestyle, going on trips that included 'international travel, stays at luxury hotels, and purchases at gentlemen's clubs,' the U.S. Attorney's Office said. An investigation into Muchimba reportedly started in January 2023. Muchimba, who faces up to 30 years behind bars for the bank fraud charges alone, is set to receive his sentence in August. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Yahoo
If You Didn't Receive Your Tax Refund Check, This D.C. Mailman Might Be The Reason...Here's Why
Tax season is here and many Americans are probably wondering if they will owe more than what they might receive back. However, some Washington D.C. residents may be on edge after having their tax return checks stolen. The Feds say a former U.S. Postal Service employee is to blame. The Justice Department says 44-year-old Hachikosela Muchimba was accused on March 14 of being behind the disappearance of millions worth of tax return checks. Authorities caught on to his scheme in January of 2023 after someone reported their $14,000 check was deposited but... not into their bank. Federal prosecutors said the individual then used some context clues to put two-and-two together: the address and name on the check matched the information of their mail carrier, according to a criminal complaint obtained by PEOPLE. Authorities then discovered the bank where the funds were deposited had copies of 'four additional U.S. Treasury checks that were fraudulently negotiated.' They totaled up to $57,000. However, over the next few months, federal authorities snuffed out another 98 checks Muchimba had stolen from the folks on his mail route and deposited — all while in his USPS uniform. The Justice Department says Muchimba's scheme ran from between December 2020 and March 2023, depositing the checks by removing the name of the true recipient and replacing it with his name. Surveillance footage from the bank caught him in the act which federal prosecutors say funded international trips, luxury hotel stays and purchases at gentlemen's clubs. He secured $1.6 million from his ventures. Muchimba was charged with conspiracy to commit theft of mail and bank fraud, theft of mail, bank fraud, engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from specified unlawful activity and unlawful procurement of citizenship or naturalization, per the DOJ. The Feds say Muchimba also applied to become a citizen while providing false information to the immigration office. He was found guilty of all charges Friday by a federal jury. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Yahoo
DC USPS worker convicted of stealing over $1.6 million in checks from mail
WASHINGTON () — A D.C United States Postal Service (USPS) worker was convicted Thursday of , according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia (). On March 13, a federal jury found Hachikosela Muchimba, 44, guilty of conspiracy to commit theft of mail and bank fraud, unlawful procurement of citizenship or naturalization and other related fraud charges. Walkersville man arrested on 45 counts of child pornography possession Court documents revealed that between December 2020 and March 2023, Muchimba worked with USPS and carried out a scheme to steal U.S. Treasury and private checks from the mail. He then deposited the checks into his bank account by either altering or falsely endorsing them. Throughout the investigation, detectives captured Muchimba on bank surveillance video making deposits and withdrawals. In total, Muchimba fraudulently deposited over $1.6 million in U.S. Treasury checks into his account, according to the USADC. 2025 National Cherry Blossom Festival guide for DC The attorney's office said he used the money from the stolen checks to live a lavish life and travel out of the country. He stayed at luxury hotels and spent the money at gentlemen's clubs. Officials noted that Muchimba also applied to become a naturalized U.S. citizen and provided false information to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officers by stating he had not committed any crimes. This offense has a maximum jail time of 10 years. The maximum penalty for bank fraud is 30 years and for mail theft is five years, said the USADC. Muchimba's sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 8, 2025. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
17-03-2025
- USA Today
Former USPS employee found guilty of stealing over $1.6M to fund lavish lifestyle
Former USPS employee found guilty of stealing over $1.6M to fund lavish lifestyle Show Caption Hide Caption USPS to slash 10,000 jobs as outgoing postmaster general partners with DOGE Amid financial pressures, USPS aims to enhance performance through a collaboration with DOGE, raising questions about transparency and safety. Scripps News A former employee of the U.S. Postal Service was found guilty of stealing over $1.6 million through mail theft and bank fraud, the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia said. Hachikosela Muchimba, 44, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a federal jury March 13 on charges of mail theft and bank fraud that "illegally netted him over $1.6 million," U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and Special Agent in Charge Kathleen Woodson, of the U.S. Postal Service-Office of the Inspector General announced in a news release Friday. According to court documents, the defendant was an employee of the postal service between December 2020 and March 2023 when "he executed a scheme to steal U.S. Treasury checks and private party checks from the U.S. mail." "Muchimba then deposited the checks, which he either altered and/or falsely endorsed, into bank accounts under his control," the news release said, adding "Muchimba altered some of the checks by removing the name of the proper payee on the checks and replacing it with his own name." Muchimba was also captured making deposits and withdrawals of the funds on the bank's security footage, the attorney's office said, adding the "total amount of the U.S. Treasury checks fraudulently deposited into Muchimba's various bank accounts was just over $1.6 million." The attorney's office said Muchimba used the funds he collected to fund a "lavish lifestyle that included international travel, stays at luxury hotels, and purchases at gentlemen's clubs." Check theft scheme: Former USPS employee, co-conspirators stole $24 million, feds say Defendant also found guilty of unlawful procurement of naturalization Besides fraud and theft, Muchimba was also "found guilty at trial of unlawful procurement of naturalization," the attorney's office said, explaining the defendant provided false information to "U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officers by telling them that he had not committed any crimes for which he had not been arrested." U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras has scheduled Muchimba's sentencing for Aug. 8 and has detained him until then, the attorney's office said. The maximum penalty for bank fraud is 30 years in prison and five years for mail theft, according to the attorney's office. For unlawful procurement of naturalization, the maximum penalty is 10 years of incarceration and possible administrative denaturalization. "The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes," the news release said. "Muchimba's sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors." When contacted by USA TODAY Monday afternoon, Muchimba's lawyer Steve Roy Kiersh said he has "no comment to make." This story was updated to add new information. Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@ and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Yahoo
Former USPS employee found guilty of stealing over $1.6M to fund lavish lifestyle
A former employee of the U.S. Postal Service was found guilty of stealing over $1.6 million through mail theft and bank fraud, the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia said. Hachikosela Muchimba, 44, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a federal jury March 13 on charges of mail theft and bank fraud that "illegally netted him over $1.6 million," U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and Special Agent in Charge Kathleen Woodson, of the U.S. Postal Service-Office of the Inspector General announced in a news release Friday. According to court documents, the defendant was an employee of the postal service between December 2020 and March 2023 when "he executed a scheme to steal U.S. Treasury checks and private party checks from the U.S. mail." "Muchimba then deposited the checks, which he either altered and/or falsely endorsed, into bank accounts under his control," the news release said, adding "Muchimba altered some of the checks by removing the name of the proper payee on the checks and replacing it with his own name." Muchimba was also captured making deposits and withdrawals of the funds on the bank's security footage, the attorney's office said, adding the "total amount of the U.S. Treasury checks fraudulently deposited into Muchimba's various bank accounts was just over $1.6 million." The attorney's office said Muchimba used the funds he collected to fund a "lavish lifestyle that included international travel, stays at luxury hotels, and purchases at gentlemen's clubs." Check theft scheme: Former USPS employee, co-conspirators stole $24 million, feds say Besides fraud and theft, Muchimba was also "found guilty at trial of unlawful procurement of naturalization," the attorney's office said, explaining the defendant provided false information to "U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officers by telling them that he had not committed any crimes for which he had not been arrested." U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras has scheduled Muchimba's sentencing for Aug. 8 and has detained him until then, the attorney's office said. The maximum penalty for bank fraud is 30 years in prison and five years for mail theft, according to the attorney's office. For unlawful procurement of naturalization, the maximum penalty is 10 years of incarceration and possible administrative denaturalization. "The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes," the news release said. "Muchimba's sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors." When contacted by USA TODAY Monday afternoon, Muchimba's lawyer Steve Roy Kiersh said he has "no comment to make." This story was updated to add new information. Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@ and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Former USPS worker stole $1.6M in mail theft, bank fraud, feds say
