Connecticut Resident Sentenced to Eight Years for Masterminding $55,000,000 Check Fraud Ring

Scheme Overview

Federal prosecutors have secured an eight-year prison sentence for the leader of a scheme that stole thousands of checks from U.S. Postal Service collection boxes and deposited millions in altered funds. Michael Edwards, 31, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl in the Southern District of New York.

How the Scheme Worked

The scheme ran from January 2022 through July 2024 and involved more than 2,600 stolen checks, with intended losses exceeding $55 million. Edwards worked with others to obtain postal keys that provided access to collection boxes in affluent Manhattan neighborhoods. After stealing checks, Edwards and his co-conspirators altered the names of the payees and, in some cases, the amounts written on the checks.

Arrest and Prosecution

Prosecutors also say Edwards helped recruit people willing to provide their bank account information and oversaw the deposit of millions of dollars in fraudulently altered checks into accounts across Connecticut, Florida, Pennsylvania and South Carolina. Edwards was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and was found guilty. He was sentenced to eight years in prison, with three years of supervised release, and was ordered to forfeit $18,840,084.45 while paying restitution.