A former United States Postal Service employee in North Carolina has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for stealing more than $750,000 in US Treasury checks from the mail.
Zerion Marcos Franklin, who worked at Fayetteville’s mail processing annex, was convicted of stealing and altering checks, including federal tax refunds, VA benefits, and Social Security disability payments.
Franklin’s scheme was uncovered in June 2024, when Fayetteville police officers stopped his vehicle. During the stop, officers found drug paraphernalia, marijuana packaged for sale, a loaded 9mm handgun, and more than $22,000 in cash.
They also discovered 47 US Treasury checks made payable to various individuals and entities, all dated between April and May 2023.
Further investigation revealed that Franklin stole an elderly victim’s tax refund check from the mail, altered it to show his name as the payee, and cashed it at a Fayetteville Walmart.
Investigators determined that Franklin stole more than $750,000 in Treasury checks.
“Our American postal service is a public trust, staffed with civil servants bound to prioritize the public’s interests above personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. “Most postal employees uphold their oath, delivering billions of parcels each year.
This postal worker is the rare exception, stealing three-quarters of a million dollars in US Treasury funds, including tax refunds, from the mail and defrauding hardworking American taxpayers in the process. The consequences are clear: steal mail and face prison.”
“We appreciate the outstanding effort by both our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice,” stated Kathleen Woodson, Special Agent in Charge of the US Postal Inspection Service, Office of the Inspector General (USPS-OIG).
“The vast majority of Postal Service employees are honest, hardworking people who would never betray the public’s trust in this way. If an employee decides otherwise, OIG Special Agents will conduct an aggressive investigation.
This case exemplifies our successful collaboration with federal and state law enforcement partners, as well as the United States Attorney’s Office, in pursuing and prosecuting Postal Service employees.”
US District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced Franklin to 48 months in prison and three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to make full restitution to the United States Treasury.
