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'Operation Checkmate': 5 charged in mail thefts after 'thousands' of Palm Beach Co. residents affected

WPTV has reported on similar crimes over the last few years where victims had thousands of dollars stolen

Five people are charged in a string of mail thefts across Palm Beach County that the State Attorney's Office said impacted "thousands" of victims.

By: Scott Sutton

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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Five people are charged in a string of mail thefts across Palm Beach County that the State Attorney's Office said impacted "thousands" of victims.

WPTV's investigative team has reported on similar crimes over the last few years, including a Boynton Beach woman who said she lost $50,000 to a check-washing scheme.

Prosecutors said Friday these five suspects are accused of carrying out a racketeering scheme that began with the theft of personal and business checks from thousands of victims.

Officials said they "washed" the stolen checks and then deposited the counterfeit checks, which totaled hundreds of thousands of dollars, into their conspirators' bank accounts.

Charged in the case are Jordan St. Val, 22, Dario Cadet, 24, Billy Cadet, 20, Joelson Gabrius, 24, and Mozelle Estica, 23. They face charges of racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering and fraudulent use of personal identification and theft.

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How did the scheme work?

The Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office said they used stolen mail carrier keys to open bulk mail bins in the middle of the night and steal mail from Boca Raton to Delray Beach to Wellington.

The group targeted envelopes that contained utility bills and credit card payments and then "washed" the checks, changing the amount on the check and the payee, prosecutors said.

"Usually the new payee on the check would be someone who agreed to let St. Val and the Cadets use their account to deposit the counterfeit checks," the State Attorney's Office said. "If and when the check cleared, the three would communicate with the bank account holder to pull out the stolen funds, to be shared. Gabruis and Estica are accused of allowing their accounts to be used to facilitate the scheme."

Prosecutors said they expect to make more arrests in what they are calling "Operation Checkmate."

"These arrests are a credit to hard work by the Delray Beach Police and the Postal Inspection Service to stop this criminal enterprise and protect county citizens and their mail," Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg said. "Prosecutors will seek justice for the victims of this fraud."