Federal authorities say a former Salem County resident has admitted his role in a scheme involving checks stolen from the mail and other sources.

This week, 25-year-old Dezhon McCrae, formerly of Penns Grove, pleaded guilty in Camden federal court to a six-count information charging him with two counts of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, possession of a stolen postal key, possession of stolen mail, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery.

Officials described the six counts as follows:

Count One

From May 2018 through February 2020, McCrae was part of a “card cracking” conspiracy in which the group obtained stolen checks from the mail and other sources.

They then used the stolen checks to create counterfeit checks with the same routing and account numbers for deposit into area banks. Next, the conspirators posted advertisements on social media, seeking individuals who had bank accounts and were willing to give the conspirators access to their accounts. The conspirators then deposited the counterfeit checks into the compromised bank accounts. The conspirators transferred as much money as possible out of the accounts before the banks discovered that the deposits were fraudulent. The conspirators were able to defraud the victim banks of over $274,000.

High angle view of a torn check
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McCrae’s role in this scheme resulted in over $10,000 loss to the victim banks.

Three other codefendants have already been sentenced in connection with this scheme and three additional codefendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

Count Two

After being charged via federal complaint for the conduct alleged in Count One, McCrae engaged in a second scheme to commit bank fraud. From May 11 to July 27, 2022, McCrae participated in a nearly identical scheme to defraud another bank. This time, the victim bank suffered over $14,000 of loss due to McCrae’s offense.

Counts Three and Four

On August 18th, 2023, while the complaint for the allegations in Count One was still pending, McCrae was residing in Paulk County, GA. Local police were dispatched to McCrae’s home in response to eye-witness reports of a shooting. The investigation of the shooting led to the discovery of a stolen postal mailbox key and stolen mail in McCrae’s residence.

Count Five

During the investigation of the August 18th shooting at McCrae’s residence, local police obtained a warrant to search his cellphone.

The cellphone was found to contain evidence that McCrae had manufactured a fraudulent New Jersey driver’s license in the name of a real person, but using the photograph of a conspirator. The cellphone evidence also showed that McCrae mailed the false ID to his conspirators in Camden in late June 2023.

On July 3rd, 2023, the false ID was used in an attempt to cash a stolen check at a bank in New Jersey. The bank’s employees were suspicious of the fraudulent ID and the conspirator fled the bank before the stolen check was cashed.

Count Six

The search of McCrae’s cellphone also uncovered evidence of his role in a conspiracy to commit two robberies of letter carriers in Cumberland County. The target of the robberies was the letter carriers’ postal mailbox keys.

McConnell Adams, Townsquare Media Lansing
McConnell Adams, Townsquare Media Lansing
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The first robbery occurred in Fairfield Township on June 13th, 2023, when a masked assailant assaulted the letter carrier and successfully stole the postal mailbox key.

The second robbery, which was unsuccessful, occurred on July 3rd, 2023, in Vineland. On this occasion, a masked assailant attacked the letter carrier from behind, striking him and spraying him with a canister of bear repellant.

Potential prison time

If convicted, the charges that McCrae is facing could send him to prison for decades with fines exceeding $1 million.

Sentencing is scheduled for February 6th.

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