INDIANAPOLIS — A crime trio was sentenced by the Department of Justice for their roles in a multi-year mail theft and bank fraud scheme that lasted from October 2021 to November 2022.
The three defendants, their charges and their sentences are below:
| Defendant | Charges | Sentence |
| Ephraim Aung, 23, of Indianapolis | – Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud – Bank Fraud, Two Counts – Mail Theft |
– 5 years imprisonment – 3 years supervised release – $807 in restitution – $500 fine |
| Brooke Bryan, 22, of Indianapolis | – Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud – Bank Fraud |
-18 months imprisonment – 2 years supervised release $807 in restitution – $500 fine |
| Cortez Venable, 27, Lawrence | – Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud – Bank Fraud – Robbery or Mail – Brandishing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence – Mail Theft – Keys or Locks Stolen |
– 130 months imprisonment – 3 years supervised release – $807 in restitution – $500 fine |
“Not only did this scheme victimize and traumatize letter carriers – it also victimized ordinary citizens who rely on the United States mail to send important correspondence or pay bills,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.
“Letter carriers should not have to live in fear of gun violence simply for doing their jobs,” Childress added.
“Americans should not have to fear that their important financial documents will be stolen and exploited by fraudsters who wreak financial havoc. The serious federal prison sentences in this case demonstrates that the Department of Justice, working with our federal partners, will ensure there will be serious consequences for violence against public servants and fraud against the public.”
According to court documents, Aung, Bryan and Venable conspired together to commit bank fraud using financial documents such as checks and money orders. The financial documents were stolen from the U.S. Postal Service collection boxes, which can be only opened with special key access.
To retrieve the keys, Venable and other unknown individuals robbed postal workers at gunpoint while they were on their daily routes delivering mail. On, Dec. 6, 2021, Bryan and Aung served as lookouts while other unknown men robbed a mail carrier.
They would take keys from the worker and create fraudulent checks or money orders. Venable and Aung would also steal mail. They would take what they had stolen to obtain real cash by altering information. Docs indicate the duo would often use a card-cracking scheme. Venable and Aung would recruit others to deposit money into their accounts on social sites like Facebook to make ‘easy money’. The alleged accomplices would then withdraw funds.
According to DOJ reports, there were 247 pieces of stolen mail found, three USPS access keys, $70,121.44 in stolen checks and four firearms found in Venable’s car and home.
Further, investigators searched the apartment of Bryan and Aung and found stolen checks, altered money orders and other items like white-out and razors which are used to alter checks. Additionally, police noted the pair had several firearms in their home.
There were more than 150 people victimized by the scheme, who ultimately lost $104,747.09.
“The sentencing of these three individuals shows the utmost importance we place on the safety of U.S. Postal Service employees and the sanctity of the U.S. mail,” said Detroit Division Acting Inspector in Charge Felicia George.
“We will not stop pursuing those who seek to harm our employees and victimize postal customers. We will bring them to justice to account for their violent and selfish crimes,” George added.
“The partnerships we’ve established with our USPS OIG counterparts, local police departments, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office allowed us to work jointly to pursue and hold these individuals accountable. Let this serve as reminder to those who want to make a quick dollar by traumatizing our letter carriers and financially preying on the American public: We will find you and bring you to justice.”
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