A former Connecticut resident has been sentenced to 2 ½ years in prison for fraud and mail theft offenses, according to federal authorities.
The complicated scheme occurred when Kierra Blount, at times while employed by the U.S. Postal Service in Stamford, “stole mail and obtained stolen mail for the purpose of obtaining checks that were payable to other individuals,” according to federal authorities, who cited court documents and statements made in court.
Authorities said that, around November 2021, Blount opened a bank account using a name and social security number of a person who did not know it was occurring.
“Blount and others fraudulently changed the payee names on stolen checks to the name of the identity theft victim, forged the victim’s signature on the back of the checks, and deposited them into the bank account Blount opened,” according to federal authorities.
“From November 2021 until the account was closed in April 2022, Blount and others deposited approximately $156,000 in fraudulent checks into the account. Some check deposits were reversed by the bank, and Blount and others used approximately $81,000 for their own purposes,” according to federal authorities.
When investigators did a court-authorized search of Blount’s Stamford residence in 2023, they seized a “significant amount of stolen mail and other items related to this scheme, including debit cards in the names of other individuals, checks totaling more than $285,000 and sheets of paper containing personal information of other individuals, including names, dates of birth, addresses, email addresses and security question answers,” according to federal authorities.
An analysis of cell phones seized from Blount also turned up images of stolen checks, personal identifying information for more than 50 people. Communications using the Telegram app also found “unknown individuals involved in the scheme.”
Blount was charged by indictment on March 26, 2024, and was arrested on June 17, 2024, according to federal authorities. She pleaded guilty to bank fraud and unlawful possession of stolen mail in August this year.
Blount, who is free on a $75,000 bond, is required to report to prison on April 8, 2026, authorities said. She now lives in Plymouth, North Carolina.
At one point, a reward of up to $100,000 was being offered by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Blount, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Connecticut Organized Financial Fraud Task Force, including personnel from the Stamford, Milford, Westport, Fairfield, West Haven, West Hartford and Bridgeport Police Departments.