Several people have been arrested in connection to a mail theft operation that affected thousands of Palm Beach County residents, according to the Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office.
This comes after a string of mail fraud cases reported by WPTV, an affiliate of NBC6. The cases include a Boynton Beach woman who allegedly lost $50,000 in a check-washing scheme.
Five people are accused in a racketeering scheme that started with them stealing personal and business checks from thousands of people, prosecutors said.
The people charged in the case have been identified as Jordan St. Val, Dario Cadet, Billy Cadet, Joelson Gabrius, and Mozelle Estica. They are all between the ages of 20 and 24.
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They have been charged with racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering and fraudulent use of personal identification and theft.
They used stolen mail carrier keys to open bulk mail bins overnight and steal mail from several cities including Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Wellington, according to the State Attorney's Office.
Prosecutors claim the group targeted envelopes that contained utility bills and credit card payments, before they "washed" the checks -- changing the amount on the check and the payee.
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The case has been dubbed "Operation Checkmate" by prosecutors, who are expecting more arrests in connection to the scheme.
