A U.S. Postal Service employee was arrested Thursday on suspicion of withdrawing more than 20 checks from the mail and depositing $281,000 into various bank accounts in her name, authorities said.
Joyvian Tuana Hayes, 36, of Compton, has been charged with one count of bank fraud and could be sentenced to up to 30 years in federal prison if convicted, according to U.S. prosecutors. There is.
Hayes, identified by prosecutors as a supervisor at the Costa Mesa Post Office in Orange County, is accused of stealing about 20 checks from the post office since July, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said Hayes forged the signatures of the recipients and deposited the checks into various bank accounts. One of those checks was for more than $114,000, authorities said.
Prosecutors said surveillance video showed Hayes depositing stolen checks at ATMs in Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley and Compton.
In addition to the gold coins, she is also suspected of stealing tens of thousands of dollars worth of currency, authorities said.
Federal agents searched Hayes’ Compton residence and her car, a 2023 BMW, Thursday.
The matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General.
