Five Richmond County residents are facing significant prison sentences after pleading guilty to various felony charges, including illegally possessing master keys for postal service mailboxes, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The charges stem from an ongoing investigation into widespread mail theft and related financial crimes that occurred in 2023.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia announced the guilty pleas of:
- Davion Chelsea Easterling, 26, of Augusta, a former U.S. Postal Service employee, and Corey Jamario Gunter, 24, of Augusta, both pleaded guilty to Aiding and Abetting Possession of a Stolen Mail Key. They face up to 10 years in prison.
- Cameron Martinas Curry, 22, and Quavaun Enreco Rhodes, 22, both of Augusta, pleaded guilty to Possession of a Stolen Mail Key, Possessing Stolen Mail Matter, Bank Fraud, and Aggravated Identity Theft. Each faces a statutory penalty of up to 30 years in prison.
- Earl Demetrius Overton, 32, of Augusta, pleaded guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, Bank Fraud, and Aggravated Identity Theft related to stolen mail. He also faces a statutory penalty of up to 30 years in prison.
As detailed in court documents, the investigation into Easterling and Gunter began in 2023 when a search of their shared residence, conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, uncovered large quantities of stolen mail, multiple postal bins, and a master key used to access postal service boxes. The stolen mail was traced back to a USPS Blue Box at the U.S. Post Office on 3108 Peach Orchard Road in Augusta. The plea agreements acknowledge that there are more than 10 mail-theft victims, and the defendants forfeited any claim to the stolen mail so it could be returned to its rightful owners. Gunter also agreed to forfeit a .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol.
Curry and Rhodes were initially detained by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office during a traffic stop after deputies suspected them of stealing mail from a USPS Blue Box at the U.S. Post Office on 125 Commercial Boulevard in Martinez, Georgia. Stolen mail was observed inside their vehicle. Although no key was found in their vehicle, a pair of U.S. Postal Master Keys were located nearby. A federal search warrant of their phones revealed images of checks totaling $485,000 and text messages indicating they were in the business of stealing, altering, depositing, or selling checks for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft…