5 Valdosta men admit to stealing checks from mail

October 18, 2017

VALDOSTA, Ga. (AP) -- Federal prosecutors say five South Georgia men have admitted to conspiring to steal checks from the mail and cashing them.

Prosecutors say 31-year-old Kedrick Williams, 31-year-old Zerrick Tompkins, 44-year-old Jerry Rawls Jr., 64-year-old Willie Smith and 46-year-old Gregory Harris all pleaded guilty this month to conspiring to steal and possess mail. All five men are from Valdosta.

The plea agreements say that the men conspired to steal mail, including checks, between July 24, 2016, and December 8, 2016. They removed the checks and then altered the name of the payee or the amount and cashed the checks.

In a news release Monday, prosecutors said the men admitted to stealing between $40,000 and $95,000 in checks.

The men are scheduled to be sentenced January 10.