AUGUSTA, Ga. — The U.S. Department of Justice announced five men, including a postal worker, pleaded guilty to illegally having a U.S. Postal Service master key, mail theft and several other felonies.
Davion Chelsea Easterling, Corey Jamario Gunter, Cameron Martinas Curry, Quavaun Enreco Rhodes and Earl Demetrius Overton are waiting for their sentences to be delivered.
Among the five, the Justice Department said charges included aiding and abetting possession of a stolen mail key, bank fraud, theft of stolen mail matter and identity theft, all in separate cases.
“Mail theft has become an epidemic, and it is exceptionally costly to individuals and businesses victimized by these illegal activities,” Acting U.S. Attorney Tara M. Lyons said in a statement. “These prosecutions hold accountable these defendants – including one who betrayed the trust granted by her U.S. Postal Service employment.”
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According to the DOJ, Easterling was a Postal Service worker and lived with Gunter.
During an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office in 2023, investigators searched the two men’s home and found large amounts of stolen mail, multiple postal bins and a master key that could access postal service boxes.
DOJ said it was determined that the mail was stolen from a USPS Blue Box at the Post Office on Peach Orchard Road in Augusta.
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Separately, Curry and Rhodes were detained by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office during a traffic stop after they were suspected of stealing mail from a USPS Blue Box on Commercial Boulevard in Martinez.
When deputies spoke to the defendants during the traffic stop, they saw what looked like stolen mail in the vehicle. An investigation found that the Blue Box was not forced open, but no key was found in the vehicle.
Investigators searched the area around the vehicle and found two master keys less than 30 yards away.
After getting a search warrant for both Curry and Rhodes’ phones, agents found multiple images of checks with a total value of $485,000, as well as multiple messages and screenshots that showed they were “in the business of stealing checks from the mail and depositing, altering or selling them” to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Overton was initially charged in relation to an outstanding warrant and having a firearm while a convicted felon. However, when investigators executed a search warrant at his home, they found evidence related to postal crimes.
Officials said Overton was stealing checks from the mail and depositing, altering or selling them to use for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
“These cases are examples of individuals who made a decision to engage in criminal misconduct involving the U.S. mail that will not go unpunished,” Rodney M. Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division, said. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to protecting our customers and preserving the integrity of the mail.”
Justice Department officials said there were at least 10 victims in the mail cases and are asking anyone who believes they may be a victim of mail theft at the Martinez or Peach Orchard Road post offices between March 1 and Nov. 30, 2023 to contact law enforcement and file a report by June 30.
Here are the charges each man pled guilty to, and the sentences they could face:
- Davion Chelsea Easterling, 26, and Corey Jamario Gunter, 24, both of Augusta, await sentencing after pleading guilty to Aiding and Abetting Possession of a Stolen Mail Key. The plea agreements subject each defendant to a statutory penalty of up to 10 years in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and up to three years of supervised release upon completion of any prison term.
- Cameron Martinas Curry, 22, and Quavaun Enreco Rhodes, 22, both of Augusta, await sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Stolen Mail Key, Possessing Stolen Mail Matter, Bank Fraud, and Aggravated Identity Theft. The plea agreements subject each defendant to a statutory penalty of up to 30 years in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and up to five years of supervised release upon completion of any prison term.
- Earl Demetrius Overton, 32, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, Bank Fraud, and Aggravated Identity Theft related to stolen mail. The plea agreement subjects the defendant to a statutory penalty of up to 30 years in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and up to five years of supervised release upon completion of any prison term.
DOJ said hearing dates for sentencing would be posted as they are set, though Easterling was scheduled for sentencing Tuesday afternoon. The disposition of his sentence was not shared by justice officials.
There is no parole in the federal justice system.
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