A former U.S. Postal Service employee, Andre Whitehurst, was sentenced on March 19 to 15 months in prison for his involvement in a bank fraud scheme that used stolen mail, according to Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
The case highlights concerns about internal theft within the postal system and its impact on financial institutions and individuals. Whitehurst, age 34 and from Charlotte, will also serve one year of supervised release after his prison term. He agreed to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $74,000 and remains responsible for restitution to victims of the fraud.
“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.”
Court records show that between April 2022 and September 2024, Whitehurst conspired with Rashad Lowery, Aaron Grice, and others to steal incoming and outgoing checks while working as a postal clerk. The stolen checks were then sold to Grice, Lowery, and others who deposited them into accounts under fake identities before moving the funds out quickly. This scheme resulted in attempted losses exceeding $364,000 for banks and account holders.
Whitehurst pleaded guilty on June 17, 2025, to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and theft of mail by a postal employee. He will report to federal prison once assigned a facility. Both Grice and Lowery have also pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
U.S. District Judge Matthew E. Orso said during sentencing that the punishment should “deter others from committing this type of crime.”
Ferguson thanked the U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General for investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Smith prosecuted.
