- A former USPS employee, Hachikosela Muchimba, was found guilty of stealing over $1.6 million in U.S. Treasury and private checks from the mail between December 2020 and March 2023. He deposited the doctored checks into bank accounts he controlled.
- Muchimba used the stolen money to fund a lavish lifestyle, including international travel, luxury hotel stays and purchases at gentlemen’s clubs.
- Muchimba faces up to 30 years in prison for bank fraud, five years for mail theft, and up to 10 years for unlawful procurement of citizenship.
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A former United States Postal Service (USPS) employee has been found guilty of stealing more than $1.6 million of U.S. Treasury and private checks from the mail to indulge in a “lavish lifestyle,” according to federal authorities.
How did he pull off the crime?
Over a roughly three-year period between December 2020 and March 2023, federal law enforcement said 44-year-old Hachikosela Muchimba deposited the doctored checks into bank accounts he controlled.
In a press release on Friday, March 14, the U.S. attorney’s office for the District of Columbia stated that bank surveillance footage showed Muchimba depositing stolen checks and withdrawing money.
The attorney’s office said that Muchimba used the stolen money “to fund a lavish lifestyle that included international travel, stays at luxury hotels and purchases at gentlemen’s clubs.”
What did courts find Muchimba guilty of?
On Thursday, March 13, jurors found Muchimba guilty of conspiracy to commit theft by mail and bank fraud, theft of mail, bank fraud and other charges. The charges could reportedly lead to decades behind bars.
Courts also found Muchimba guilty of unlawful procurement of citizenship or naturalization. Officials said he lied to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service agents. They said he told them he had not committed any crime before his arrest for stealing federal and private checks. This particular charge alone carries up to 10 years in prison and potential “administrative denaturalization.”
Muchimba also faces up to 30 years in prison for bank fraud and five years behind bars for mail theft.
When will he be sentenced?
A judge is expected to sentence Muchimba on Aug. 8. Officials said he will remain in jail until sentencing.