3 From New York And Florida Charged In Federal Mail Theft Scheme Involving Stolen Treasury Checks

Three people from New York and Florida are facing federal charges after authorities discovered a conspiracy to steal US Treasury checks from the mail and cash them with fake driver’s IDs, federal officials said.

A federal indictment released in U.S. District Court accuses Stanley Richardson Joseph, 28, and Kallie Nicole Valerie Halliday, 26, both of Brooklyn, New York, and Kristy Marie Bochecchio, 47, of Tampa, Florida. All three face charges of conspiracy, theft of government funds or property, and aggravated identity theft.

United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced the charges. If convicted on all counts, each defendant may face up to ten years in federal prison. Federal prosecutors have also filed notice that the government seeks to forfeit any proceeds linked to the suspected crime.

Federal agents allege that Joseph, Halliday, and Bochecchio intercepted Treasury checks in the mail before they reached their designated receivers. After getting the checks, the group allegedly created bogus driver’s licenses with the victims’ names and personal information. According to court documents, the defendants then took the forged identification cards to several banks and credit unions, opening new accounts in the victims’ names and depositing the stolen government checks.

The case derives from a joint investigation by the United States Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. The United States Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations in New York aided in the investigation. Merrilyn Hoenemeyer, an Assistant United States Attorney, is leading the prosecution.

The indictment follows the Department of Justice’s April 7 announcement of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. According to federal authorities, the division’s primary objective is to investigate and prosecute people who “steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars,” which aligns with a larger White House drive led by Vise President J.D. Vance to combat fraud in federal welfare programs.