PHILADELPHIA, PA — Sam Wolo, 23, of Philadelphia, was sentenced to three years in prison for his role in a scheme involving the theft and alteration of checks from the U.S. mail. United States District Court Judge Paul S. Diamond handed down the sentence on Thursday.
Wolo’s co-conspirator, Gransae Manue, 22, of Clifton Heights, Pennsylvania, received a 33-month prison sentence on May 2. He was also ordered to pay $42,184 in restitution. Another co-conspirator, Bruno Nyanue, 22, of Philadelphia, will be sentenced on June 12.
All three men admitted their involvement in the conspiracy. They pleaded guilty to charges including bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, mail theft, and robbery of a postal carrier.
The scheme began on December 22, 2021, when the trio robbed a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier. They stole an Arrow Key, which gives access to blue USPS collection boxes. The key allowed them to steal mail from those boxes in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania.
Between December 2021 and February 2022, the conspirators altered stolen checks, making them payable to third parties for amounts higher than the original values. They then deposited these altered checks and sometimes withdrew the funds. Authorities recovered approximately 370 stolen checks and nine money orders from Wolo’s apartment. They also found the stolen Arrow Key and additional stolen checks and money orders in his vehicle. The total value exceeded $171,000.
U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero emphasized the importance of the United States Postal Service. She stated, “Today’s sentence reflects the serious consequences that await those who compromise the security of our mail system.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Upper Darby Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Eileen Castilla Geiger prosecuted the case.
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