United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina
03/20/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/20/2026 06:49
Former U.S. Postal Employee Sentenced To 15 Months In Prison For Bank Fraud Scheme Involving Stolen Mail
cHARLOTTE, N.C. - A former U.S. Postal Service employee was sentenced yesterday for his role in a bank fraud scheme involving stolen mail, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Andre Whitehurst, 34, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 15 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release. Whitehurst agreed to pay a forfeiture money judgment for $74,000, and he remains liable to pay restitution to fraud victims.
"Checks stolen from the mail is a huge problem," said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. "Where checks are stolen by postal insiders it's even worse, and we will be sure to hold them accountable."
According to court records, from April 2022 to September 2024, Whitehurst conspired with Rashad Lowery, Aaron Grice, and others to execute a bank fraud scheme involving stolen mail. Whitehurst used his position as a U.S. Postal Service clerk to steal incoming and outgoing checks from the mail. Whitehurst then sold the stolen checks to Grice, Lowery, and others, who deposited the stolen checks into bank accounts in the names of fictitious identities and moved the stolen funds before the banks could determine that the checks were stolen. This fraudulent scheme led to attempted losses of over $364,000 to banks and bank account holders.
On June 17, 2025, Whitehurst pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and theft of mail by a postal employee. He will be ordered to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. Grice and Lowery have each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and are awaiting sentencing.
When sentencing the defendant, U.S. District Judge Matthew E. Orso stated the sentence imposed should "deter others from committing this type of crime."
In making today's announcement U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General for its investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Smith of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
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