NEW YORK MAN SENTENCED TO FIVE YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR NATIONWIDE BANK FRAUD AND STOLEN CHECK OPERATION

MOBILE, ALABAMA — A New York man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for participating in a nationwide financial fraud conspiracy that involved stolen mail, counterfeit checks, identity theft, and an illicit Telegram channel used to sell millions of dollars in stolen financial instruments to other criminals.

Curtis Jackson, 31, of Staten Island, New York, received a 60-month prison sentence from U.S. District Judge Kristi K. DuBose following his admission that he conspired with LaEric Marques Williams-Beverly and other associates operating from Mobile, Alabama. The criminal operation ran between February 2023 and June 2024, targeting financial information and checks belonging to businesses and individuals across the country.

According to federal court documents, Jackson and Williams-Beverly administered a Telegram channel called “House of Pain & Drank,” where stolen and counterfeited checks containing victims’ personal identifying information were advertised for sale. The channel served as a distribution point for financial instruments that other fraudsters could purchase and potentially use to obtain money through unauthorized banking transactions.

Investigators determined that the conspiracy combined physical mail theft with digital communications and check counterfeiting. Stolen financial documents provided account numbers, routing information, and other details that could be reproduced on fraudulent checks, allowing conspirators to attempt deposits against legitimate bank accounts.

One documented incident occurred in January 2024, when investigators obtained surveillance footage from a Mobile business showing Williams-Beverly stealing checks from the company’s mailbox. Prosecutors established that he subsequently coordinated with other participants to counterfeit those checks and deposit them fraudulently into a bank account.

Additional surveillance footage from an automated teller machine captured Williams-Beverly conducting the fraudulent deposits, connecting the stolen financial instruments to attempted banking transactions.

Later that month, police in New York City arrested Jackson while he possessed a counterfeit check valued at $43,686.45. The instrument was drawn against the same Mobile business’s bank account and had been provided to Jackson by Williams-Beverly.

Investigators also recovered digital evidence from Jackson’s iCloud account, including images of stolen and counterfeit checks. Among the records was a Citibank deposit slip associated with a $62,673.46 check drawn against the Mobile business’s account.

These discoveries demonstrated how financial information stolen in Alabama was being transferred to an associate in New York, illustrating the interstate structure of the conspiracy.

The investigation expanded in June 2024, when federal agents executed a search warrant at Williams-Beverly’s residence in Mobile. Authorities recovered stolen mail, counterfeit checks, debit and credit cards belonging to other individuals, equipment used to produce fraudulent financial instruments, two pistols, and a cellphone.

Williams-Beverly admitted to investigators that he manufactured counterfeit checks and coordinated transactions involving stolen financial instruments through the Telegram channel he operated with Jackson.

Electronic evidence obtained from cellphones, iCloud accounts, and social media records further documented communications and transactions associated with the conspiracy. These records helped investigators identify relationships between the individuals involved and trace the movement of stolen financial information across state lines.

The scheme reflects a form of financial fraud in which traditional mail theft becomes the starting point for a broader digital criminal marketplace. Criminals who obtain legitimate checks can acquire banking information and reproduce financial instruments without needing direct access to a victim’s online banking credentials.

A stolen check can expose information useful for creating counterfeit instruments, including the financial institution, account number, routing number, and identifying details of the account holder. Fraudulent deposits can then be attempted through banking channels, potentially affecting businesses, individuals, and financial institutions.

Telegram and other encrypted messaging platforms can be exploited to facilitate the distribution of stolen information and connect individuals involved in financial crimes. The criminal conduct in this case involved the theft, counterfeiting, and sale of financial instruments rather than ordinary use of the messaging service.

During sentencing, Judge DuBose considered Jackson’s prior criminal history, which included state arrests and convictions involving theft, larceny, possession of forged instruments, drug possession, and bail jumping. The court identified his repeated criminal conduct as an important consideration in imposing the federal prison sentence.

In addition to five years of imprisonment, Jackson was ordered to serve five years of supervised release. The supervision conditions include drug testing and credit-related restrictions, which will apply after he completes his prison term.

The court did not impose an additional criminal fine. Jackson must pay $13,041.52 in restitution, jointly and severally with Williams-Beverly and other conspirators, along with a $100 special assessment.

Joint and several restitution means that multiple defendants may be legally responsible for the same restitution obligation, subject to the terms of the judgment. The designated victims are entitled to the ordered amount without receiving duplicate recovery for the same loss.

The restitution figure also requires separation from the larger financial value of the stolen instruments advertised through the conspiracy. Although millions of dollars in checks were reportedly offered for sale, that figure does not establish that the organization successfully obtained an equivalent amount of fraudulent proceeds.

Williams-Beverly previously received a 120-month federal prison sentence for his participation in the operation, twice the prison term imposed on Jackson.

U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello for the Southern District of Alabama announced Jackson’s sentencing and credited a multijurisdictional investigation involving the United States Postal Inspection Service, United States Secret Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Mobile Police Department, Jackson Police Department, and Clarke County Sheriff’s Office.

The New York City Police Department provided substantial assistance, reflecting the importance of cooperation between investigators in Alabama and New York.

The Postal Inspection Service investigates crimes involving the U.S. Mail, including theft of financial instruments, while the Secret Service investigates financial crimes that threaten payment systems and financial institutions. Their combined investigative responsibilities were relevant to a conspiracy involving physical check theft, counterfeit financial documents, and fraudulent banking transactions.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

The sentencing establishes Jackson’s federal punishment for participating in the conspiracy. The case demonstrates how stolen mail, counterfeit financial instruments, and online criminal marketplaces can be combined into an interstate fraud operation, with digital evidence and surveillance records providing critical connections between participants and their financial transactions.

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