Belton Man Sentenced for Treasury Check Theft

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A Belton, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in the theft of government property, Treasury checks.

Julian King, 32, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to 6 months imprisonment based upon his guilty plea to theft of government funds relating to stolen United States Treasury checks.

According to court documents, King and his co-defendants cashed a $72,236 U.S. Treasury check on Aug. 9, 2023, which was subsequently altered to indicate co-defendant, Sierra McCall, as the payee. McCall then deposited this altered check into her bank account and subsequently obtained two cashier's checks for $36,000 each which were provided to King and Jalen Koonce. Koonce was employed by the U.S. Postal Service at the sorting facility where government checks are processed. On Sept. 6, 2023, King and Koonce deposited another stolen and altered Treasury check in the amount of $30,264.56. This check was held by the bank and did not clear.

"My office has a very low threshold whenever a government employee is involved in criminal conduct and violates the public trust," said R. Matthew Price, United States Attorney Western District of Missouri. "In those cases, we will hold not only those individuals accountable, but also those who help them during the commission of a crime."

"This sentencing represents the hard work and dedication by USPS OIG Special Agents working with the U.S. Attorney's Office to bring charges on this significant mail theft investigation," said Special Agent in Charge Dennus Bishop, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Central Area Field Office. "The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General and the United States Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the U.S. Mail and ensuring the accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees."

Koonce and co-defendant McCall have both pleaded guilty and are scheduled for sentencing in 2026.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department.