SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — Two men are facing stiff charges for stealing nearly a million dollars worth of checks from businesses in Shelby Township, Utica, and several other cities
Surveillance footage captured one of two alleged conmen stealing checks from a local business’ mailbox in Shelby Township.
“Anyone who didn’t have a lock on their mailbox, they got ripped off,” said Rachel Clerebout.
Clerebout works at Minuteman Press in Utica, one of several businesses that had checks stolen from their mailboxes. It happened in an industrial area of Shelby Township and Utica near 23 Mile and Schoenherr.
Clerebout says thieves stole a $5,000 payment a client sent to her company.
“If my boss is not getting paid, we’re not getting paid, and the company is not making money and it’s a really bad trickle-down effect. And it seemed to be happening with everybody,” said Clerebout.
“Twenty-seven different cities and townships throughout six different counties throughout Michigan were hit by these two gentlemen,” said Sgt. Kevin Bailey of the Shelby Township Police Department.
Bailey says Brad Stewart and Darryl Roberts, who were charged with conducting a criminal enterprise, would park their car and then walk up and down the streets rifling through mailboxes — investigators believe the men sold the checks to a third party that could “wash” them.
“Ultimately to wash a check, you wash off the name that it’s supposed to go to and then put your own name on it or someone else’s name on it so you can collect the cash from it,” Sgt. Bailey said.
Shelby Township Police and US Postal Inspectors set up a sting operation: they watched the suspects go into mailboxes and steal outgoing mail. Detectives then trailed the suspects, and, after pulling them over, they found all sorts of stolen mail in their car.
“Bags and bags of property from businesses from all over Michigan along with mail that’s supposed to be sent out to different businesses for payments,” said Sgt. Bailey.
“I’m glad to hear they were caught. The cleanup process can be time-consuming trying to fix all the issues, and your information is safe moving forward,” said Jasmine Shock of AMX Global. The suspects targeted that business as well.
It's unclear how much the men may have profited from the scam. Their attorneys declined to comment on the allegations. Both are being held in the Macomb County jail on a $25,000 cash bond.
