MIAMI, Fla. (CBS12) — Five people from Miami Gardens pleaded guilty in federal court to running a scheme that combined mail theft, check fraud, and drug trafficking — a criminal operation that brought in about $1.7 million before police uncovered it.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said that the group — Angel Joe Gonzalez, 28; Evens Necler Monestime, 27; David Gonzalez, 23; Cristina Azahares, 27; and Adriana Ginel, 56 — used stolen U.S. Postal Service arrow keys to open mailboxes, steal checks, and then alter those checks to higher amounts before depositing them into bank accounts they controlled.
Prosecutors say the group also collected people’s personal information without permission, including names, signatures, and bank account numbers, which helped them create counterfeit checks. Some members were simultaneously distributing heroin, cocaine, MDMA pills, and fentanyl. The conspiracy stretched from September 2021 to May 2023 and targeted both individuals and financial institutions…