"Authorities say that nearly 50 Napa homeowners who used paper checks and the US mail to pay their property taxes had those checks stolen out of the mail, "washed," and desposited into accounts in multiple states. ABC 7 first reported on the checks disappearing last month, when Napa County Treasurer and Tax Collector Robert Minahen put out an alert that around $1.5 million had been stolen in this fraud scheme."
"In one case, a Napa vineyard owner cut a sizeable check for $225,000 which later had its payee information altered to a Florida LLC, and deposted there. The FBI got involved, and they just announced an arrest that was made back in April in Phoenix, where at least a few of the checks had been deposited into one man's account there."
"That suspect has been identified as Ricco Jackson, and as ABC 7 reports, he was arrested after he showed up at his bank to ask why his account had been frozen. Jackson allegedly deposited five checks into the account of a fake LLC in Phoenix, totaling $103,000. Jackson will now head to trial in federal court in August."
"The FBI believes that this is partly an inside job involving someone working for the US Postal Service who is intercepting mail in a targeted fashion. As Minahan tells ABC 7, "I think you have somebody locally who's doing the stealing, somebody within the Bay Area between the Oakland post office, postal facility processing, and our office. And, they're then disseminating these stolen checks throughout the country.""
Nearly 50 Napa County homeowners who paid property taxes by paper check through the US mail had their checks stolen, “washed,” and deposited into accounts in multiple states. Napa County officials reported about $1.5 million stolen and described cases where payee information was altered, including a $225,000 check changed to a Florida LLC and deposited there. The FBI became involved and announced an arrest made in April in Phoenix. The suspect, Ricco Jackson, allegedly deposited five checks totaling $103,000 into an account tied to a fake LLC. Investigators believe the scheme may involve a targeted inside role connected to the US Postal Service, with mail interception occurring locally and checks disseminated nationwide.
Read at sfist.com
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