Charlotte Man Sentenced To Prison For Role In Bank Fraud Conspiracy Involving Stolen Mail

Press Release

Postal Carrier and Husband Also Pleaded Guilty in September 2023

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A Charlotte man was sentenced to prison today for his role in a bank fraud conspiracy involving stolen mail, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Terrell Alexander Hager, Jr., 25, of Charlotte, was ordered to serve three years in prison followed by two years of supervised release.

In September 2023, Hager's co-conspirators, Kiara Padgett, and her husband, Dominique Dunlap, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Dunlap also pleaded guilty to four counts of possession of stolen mail. A sentencing date for Padgett and Dunlap has not been set.

Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which oversees Charlotte, Jeff Krafels, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General (USPS-OIG) for the Mid-Atlantic Area Field Office (MAAFO), which oversees Charlotte, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today's announcement.

According to court documents and today's sentencing hearing, from August 2021 to November 2022, Hager conspired with Padgett, Dunlap, and others to operate a bank fraud scheme involving stolen checks. Padgett, who at the time was employed by the U.S. Postal Service, used her position as a postal carrier to steal incoming and outgoing checks of businesses and individuals. Padgett used Dunlap as her intermediary to sell the stolen checks to Hager. Hager and his co-conspirators then deposited the stolen checks into bank accounts they controlled and withdrew the funds before the financial institutions discovered the fraud. During the conspiracy, Hager and his co-conspirators deposited more than $66,000 in stolen or counterfeit checks and money orders.

Court documents also show that, from October 2021 through November 2022, Hager served as the primary administrator and owner of a Telegram channel, "Hunnitband Swipe School," which he used to sell some of the stolen checks. For example, in June 2022, law enforcement operating in an undercover capacity purchased a check with a face value of more than $2,400 for $250. According to court records, over the course of the scheme, the Telegram channel posted over 400 checks stolen from the U.S. Mail, with a total face value over $7.3 million. At the time Hager committed this fraud, he was on probation with the state of North Carolina for an unrelated offense.

In making today's announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended the USPIS, USPS-OIG, and CMPD for their investigation of the case.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

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In September, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced efforts to stop the rise in mail thefts and increase the prosecution of cases involving stolen mail. Federal prosecutors and investigators also continue to urge residents and businesses to report stolen mail promptly and to take the following steps to protect their mail and avoid becoming a victim of mail theft:

1. Promptly Retrieve Mail: Collect your mail daily and avoid leaving it in the mailbox overnight.
2. Secure Mailboxes: Use secure, lockable mailboxes for incoming and outgoing mail.
3. Inquire About Overdue Mail: If you have not received valuable or important mail you're expecting, contact the sender to inquire about it.
4. Don't Send Cash: Avoid mailing cash, gift cards, or other items of value. When doing, so utilize the package tracking and signature confirmation options.
5. Hold Mail When Away: Use the USPS Hold Mail service when you are out of town.
6. File a Change of Address: When moving, file a change of address with USPS.
7. Report Suspicious Activity: Immediately report any suspicious individuals or activities near mailboxes to local law enforcement.
8. Monitor Financial Statements: Regularly review bank and credit card statements for any unusual activity.
9. Sign up for Informed Delivery and get daily digest emails that preview your mail and packages scheduled arriving soon.

Customers are encouraged to report stolen mail as soon as possible by submitting an online complaint to the Postal Inspection Service at www.uspis.gov/report or calling 877-876-2455.

Additionally, report the theft to your local police department to ensure they are aware of potential criminal activity in your area. Individuals are also encouraged to report allegations of Postal Service employee misconduct, including attempts to corrupt a Postal Service employee, to the USPS OIG at 1-888-877-7644 or www.uspsoig.gov.

Updated October 4, 2024