Chicago Heights Man Charged In Postal Service Bank Fraud Schemes

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, IL — A Chicago Heights man was one of 10 Chicago-area residents indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly scheming to cash counterfeit U.S. Postal Service money orders, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois.

The news release states that Marvin L. Cole, 29, along with Reginald Russell, 29, of Glenwood, deposited the counterfeit USPS money orders, beginning around December 2018 and continuing through February 2021, into various banks accounts to which they had access. They then withdrew the funds before the banks could discover the fraudulent deposits, according to the indictment.

The indictment states that, combined, Cole and Russell deposited at least approximately $132,593 in altered and counterfeit money orders.

The indictment states that all involved in the fraud case had purchased or caused to be purchased the money orders from post offices in amounts less than $10, so that the orders could then be altered to higher amounts, somewhere between $800 and $1,000, before being deposited.

Cole and Russell's highest deposit made was in December 2018, and was $2,970, according to the indictment. Others charged in the case include Nathan R. Chavis, 29, of Chicago, Darius D. Goodwin, 26, of Country Club Hills, Victor J. Johnson, 27, of Oak Forest, Lance Brandon Cole, 27 of Richton Park, Munang O. Ekoi, 26, of Lisle, Sernard D. Gill Jr., 26, of Matteson, Armani M. Spencer-Sprattlin, 32, of Park Forest, and Alexander S. Cocrofy, 28, of Country Club Hills.

According to the news release, most of the defendants have made initial appearances in federal court in Chicago.

According to the indictments, Chavis caused at least $158,610 in altered and counterfeit money orders to be deposited into third-party bank accounts; Goodwin, Johnson, Lance Cole, Ekoi, Gill, and Spencer-Sprattlin were responsible for at least $895,000 combined; and Cocroft was responsible for at least $207,985.

The release states that bank fraud is punishable by up to 30 years in federal prison. If convicted, the court must impose reasonable sentences under federal statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.

An indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.