Six Indicted in Scheme That Used Stolen Mail to Funnel Millions Through Fake Minnesota Business Accounts

Overview

• A federal grand jury returned an indictment that prosecutors publicized on Sept. 10 charging six people with running a years‑long fraud scheme targeting Twin Cities banks and credit unions.
• Lead defendant Willie Roy Turner Jr. made his first court appearance on Sept. 4, and the indictment names five other defendants who are now facing federal prosecution.
• Prosecutors say the group deposited or tried to deposit more than $5.1 million in stolen business checks and successfully withdrew over $1.5 million in victim funds.
• The scheme allegedly depended on a U.S. Postal Service employee who stole business checks in Chicago and sold them, while co-conspirators created fake Minnesota LLC filings and used fraudulent IDs to open bank accounts and quickly withdraw funds.
• Defendants face counts including conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit mail fraud, and investigators from postal inspectors to state and federal law enforcement worked on the case, underscoring gaps in mailed‑payment security and account‑opening controls.