Postal worker stole 450 checks worth $6 million in Pennsylvania and sold them, feds say
A former United States Postal Service employee stole hundreds of checks from the mail that were addressed to Pennsylvania businesses and sold them, federal prosecutors said.
Ahmad Omar Shareef, 35, of Monroeville pleaded guilty to four counts of mail theft by an officer or employee, according to court records and a Nov. 13 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
McClatchy News reached out to Shareef’s attorney Nov. 14 for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Prosecutors said between October 2023 and April 2024, Shareef, in his role as human resources officer at the Bloomfield Post Office, stole mail, including over 450 checks totaling more than $6 million, addressed to Pittsburgh-area businesses.
Shareef used an encrypted messaging app to sell a portion of the checks to buyers, making $20,000 off the scheme, prosecutors said.
Shareef is scheduled to be sentenced March 25, 2025. He faces a “maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both,” according to prosecutors.
This story was originally published November 14, 2024 at 10:53 AM with the headline "Postal worker stole 450 checks worth $6 million in Pennsylvania and sold them, feds say."
