Two Men Sentenced to 16 and Nearly 12 Years in Decade-Long Stolen-Mail, Counterfeit-Check Ring Prosecutors Tied to Telegram Chats

Published Nov. 9, 2026. Case status is current as of that date.

Churches, charities, small businesses and public school systems were among the victims of a mail-theft and counterfeit-check operation that ran for about a decade across the United States, according to federal prosecutors in Alabama. On Nov. 6, 2026, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Alabama announced that Vernon A. McCreath, 39, of Jersey City, New Jersey, was sentenced to 192 months in federal prison and Mikhail C. McCreath, 35, of Miami, Florida, to 140 months [1].

Status: Both men pleaded guilty, according to the release, and both have now been sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock. Several co-conspirators were sentenced earlier; two are awaiting sentencing [1].

The release does not describe the two men's relationship, and we do not characterize it beyond their shared surname.

How the scheme worked

According to court documents described by the U.S. Attorney's Office [1]:

• From September 2015 through September 2025, the defendants and co-conspirators "stole mail, counterfeited checks and money orders, and used stolen identities to open bank accounts and conduct fraudulent financial transactions nationwide."
• They obtained stolen checks and money orders, used victims' personally identifiable information to open fraudulent bank accounts, manufactured forged identification documents, and counterfeited "hundreds of financial instruments."
• They negotiated those instruments at banks across the country, including in the Southern District of Alabama.
• Victims included "religious organizations, small businesses, charitable organizations, and public school systems, among others."

In April 2025, agents searched the Atlanta-area residence of a primary co-conspirator, Demetrius J. Manassa, and recovered "dozens of stolen and counterfeit checks and money orders, fraudulent identification documents, stolen mail, check-counterfeiting equipment, printers, blank check stock, a loaded Glock pistol, and ammunition," according to the release. Fingerprint analysis linked Vernon McCreath to stolen postal money orders found in that search [1].

Agents also found hundreds of Telegram messages on Manassa's phones exchanged with the defendants and others. Prosecutors say the messages contained stolen personal information, material for fake IDs, images of stolen checks and mail, and videos of participants with large amounts of cash believed to be fraud proceeds. Investigators identified Mikhail McCreath's fingerprint in an image of a fraudulent deposit of about $1.3 million sent through Telegram. One of Vernon McCreath's Telegram usernames, the release says, was "IDoBankFraudd" [1].

The release calls the operation "multimillion-dollar" in its headline. The court ordered $687,259.04 in restitution to victims.

The people and their status

All information below is from the U.S. Attorney's Office release [1].

• Vernon A. McCreath, 39, Jersey City, N.J. Pleaded guilty; sentenced to 192 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
• Mikhail C. McCreath, 35, Miami, Fla. Pleaded guilty; sentenced to 140 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
• Both were ordered to pay $687,259.04 in restitution. Supervision conditions include drug testing, financial monitoring and restrictions on obtaining new lines of credit.
• Previously sentenced co-conspirators: Demetrius J. Manassa (180 months); Shaquan L. Manassa (60 months); Jarrod A. Ross (84 months); Khashawn D. Sidberry (90 months); Terran E. Walker (60 months).
• Awaiting sentencing: Patrick E. Williams and Jahvon H. Mosquito "will be sentenced at a later date." The release does not state their pleas, charges or ages; their status beyond that is pending.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General investigated, with help from the U.S. Secret Service, the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office, the Florida Highway Patrol and police in Glen Rock, N.J., and South Fulton, Ga. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case.

Why organizations are targets

Churches, charities and school systems often mail checks to vendors and receive donations or payments by mail. A stolen check gives a thief the organization's name, bank account and routing number and an authorized signature, which can be copied onto counterfeit checks. Organizations that reconcile accounts monthly, rather than daily, may not see the losses until weeks later.

Red flags

These are general warning signs, not claims about any person beyond what the court record shows.

• A vendor says your check never arrived, or a payment cleared to a name you don't recognize.
• Checks clearing your account that you did not write, or with numbers out of sequence.
• Online offers, often on Telegram or other messaging apps, to "rent" your bank account, buy checks, or pay you to deposit a check.
• Mail missing from a mailbox or collection box, especially around bill-paying dates.

What to do if you're targeted

• Use your bank's Positive Pay or similar check-matching service if you are a business or nonprofit.
• Review accounts daily with online banking, and set alerts for checks over a set amount.
• Pay electronically where you can, and drop mailed checks inside a post office rather than in an outdoor box.
• Report mail theft to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at uspis.gov or 877-876-2455, and notify your bank immediately.
• If your identity was used to open accounts, report it at IdentityTheft.gov and consider a credit freeze.
• Never deposit a check for someone else or let others use your account; that can make you part of a fraud.

Case status (as of Nov. 9, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status	Source
Vernon A. McCreath, 39, Jersey City, N.J.	U.S. District Court, S.D. Ala. (Chief Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock)	Pleaded guilty; sentenced to 192 months, 5 years supervised release; restitution $687,259.04 (joint with Mikhail McCreath)	[1]
Mikhail C. McCreath, 35, Miami, Fla.	S.D. Ala.	Pleaded guilty; sentenced to 140 months, 5 years supervised release; restitution as above	[1]
Demetrius J. Manassa	S.D. Ala.	Previously sentenced to 180 months	[1]
Shaquan L. Manassa	S.D. Ala.	Previously sentenced to 60 months	[1]
Jarrod A. Ross	S.D. Ala.	Previously sentenced to 84 months	[1]
Khashawn D. Sidberry	S.D. Ala.	Previously sentenced to 90 months	[1]
Terran E. Walker	S.D. Ala.	Previously sentenced to 60 months	[1]
Patrick E. Williams	S.D. Ala.	To be sentenced at a later date; plea/verdict not stated (status pending)	[1]
Jahvon H. Mosquito	S.D. Ala.	To be sentenced at a later date; plea/verdict not stated (status pending)	[1]

Statuses can change. The release does not give case numbers or sentencing dates.

Sources

1. U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Alabama, "New Jersey and Florida Men Sentenced to Prison for Involvement in Multimillion-Dollar Bank Fraud and Identity Theft Scheme," Nov. 6, 2026. https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdal/pr/new-jersey-and-florida-men-sentenced-prison-involvement-multimillion-dollar-bank-fraud

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