NEWARK, NJ — Dashaun Brown, 28, of Newark, was convicted on April 22 for his role in scheming with at least one U.S. Postal Service employee and others to steal credit cards from the mail and then steal victims’ identities in order to use the stolen cards to make hundreds of thousands of dollars of retail and online purchases, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.
Brown was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, receipt and possession of stolen mail, and aggravated identity theft in connection with bank fraud following a week-long trial before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty in Newark federal court. Brown was acquitted on one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, Dashaun Brown engaged USPS employees Jahad Salter and Hakir Brown, who previously pleaded guilty, to steal credit cards from the mail in exchange for compensation. Once they obtained the stolen cards, Dashaun Brown and his conspirators posed as the accountholders of the stolen credit cards to activate the cards, then used the cards to make purchases at retail stores in New Jersey and elsewhere, resulting in attempted losses of more than $1 million.
The charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud are each punishable by a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million. The charge of receipt and possession of stolen mail is punishable by a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. The aggravated identity theft charge carries a mandatory penalty of two years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other prison sentence imposed. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 6.
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