A former US Postal Service (USPS) worker named Hachikosela Muchimba has been convicted for stealing around $1.6 million in checks to spend lavishly on personal preferences.
According to federal prosecutors, the 44-year-old stole the amount for a “lavish lifestyle that included international travel, stays at luxury hotels, and purchases at gentlemen’s clubs.”
Last week, Muchimba, who is a native of Washington, DC was found guilty by a federal jury on charges of mail theft and bank fraud, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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“According to court documents, between December 2020 and March 2023, Muchimba was an employee of the US Postal Service when he executed a scheme to steal US Treasury checks and private party checks from the US mail,” the DOJ’s statement reads.
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“Muchimba then deposited the checks, which he either altered and/or falsely endorsed, into bank accounts under his control.”
“The total amount of the US Treasury checks fraudulently deposited into Muchimba’s various bank accounts was just over $1.6 million,” prosecutors added.
“Muchimba used the proceeds of the stolen checks to fund a lavish lifestyle that included international travel, stays at luxury hotels, and purchases at gentlemen’s clubs.”
The Justice Department revealed surveillance footage in banks showed Muchimba making deposits and withdrawals of the funds.
Muchimba has been found guilty of multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit mail theft and bank fraud, theft of mail, bank fraud, engaging in a monetary transaction involving criminally derived property, and unlawfully procuring citizenship or naturalization.
His sentencing is reportedly scheduled for August 8. The former U.S. Postal Service worker now also faces a maximum penalty of 30 years for the bank fraud charge and five years for mail theft.
“Muchimba was also found guilty at trial of unlawful procurement of naturalization,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
“During the scheme, Muchimba applied for U.S. citizenship and provided false information to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officers, falsely stating that he had not committed any crimes for which he had not been arrested. That offense carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and potential administrative denaturalization.”
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A WUSA9 report indicated that at the time of his arrest in September 2023, the now-convicted USPS worker was attempting to flee to Zambia according to charging documents.
