Omaha Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Bank Fraud

United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Jonathan Ayer, 25, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on September 5, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for bank fraud. Chief Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Ayer to 60 months' imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Ayer's release from prison, he will begin a 4-year term of supervised release. Additionally, Chief Judge Rossiter ordered Ayer to pay $6,406.89 in restitution.

On January 31, 2023, a United States Postal Service (USPS) mail delivery man was delivering mail in a neighborhood near North 25th and Crown Point avenues in Omaha when he was robbed at gunpoint. The armed robbers demanded his arrow key and were able to obtain it. An arrow key is like a mastery key, allowing the holder to gain access to secure publicly accessible USPS drop boxes, such as blue collection boxes. U.S. Postal Inspectors canvassed the area of the robbery and obtained surveillance video from several neighboring homes, which captured a black sedan that appeared to be following the mail carrier on his route. Footage identified the black sedan leaving the area at an accelerated speed around the time of the robbery. No suspects were immediately identified, but the investigation into the robbery continued.

In April 2023, a victim placed two checks in the blue collection box at the Florence Post Office in Omaha. In May 2023, the victim checked his bank account and saw that one of the checks, originally made out to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), had cleared his bank account. The check was originally made out to the IRS in the amount of $15,171. The image of the deposited check had been altered. The victim indicated the writing on the check was all fraudulent and the only thing that was the same was his signature. The victim reported another check was attempted to be cashed; however, the payment was declined by the bank as a stop payment was placed on the check. The check was in the amount of $10,913 and written out to the Nebraska Department of Revenue. The attempted cashing showed the check was altered and the payee was also changed.

In May 2023, a U.S. Postal Inspector had contact with the Florence Post Office. The clerk indicated they believed they were having issues with an arrow key being used at the location as the volume of mail picked up from the blue collection box outside the Post Office was lower than normal.

Investigation into the bank fraud ultimately identified two addresses in Omaha of interest, which were neighboring homes. The investigation also revealed two possible suspects who were captured on surveillance video cashing checks at ATMs and in Walmart stores. One of the suspects drove a black sedan. Investigation ultimately revealed Jonathan Ayer and Ronnie Colvin, III were suspects in both the robbery and bank fraud.

A search and arrest warrant were simultaneously executed on both Ayer and Colvin in the early morning hours of December 7, 2023. Colvin was pulled over in a vehicle away from the home. Subsequent searches revealed thousands of checks, stolen mail matter and firearms. Colvin was charged with the firearm, robbery, and bank fraud offense. Ayer was charged with bank fraud.

This scheme involved obtaining legitimate checks from the mail and altering the original payee and amount of the check, replacing it with names and identities of individuals whose banking account information Ayer and Colvin had access. Ayer and Colvin would pass the fraudulent checks, obtaining cash. As a result of this scheme, the intended loss amount was over $4.4 million, and the actual loss was more than $200,000.

Colvin was sentenced on August 14, 2025, to a total of 126 months' imprisonment for conspiracy to commit bank fraud, assaulting a USPS mail carrier, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.