USPS worker convicted of stealing $1.6 million in checks, then spending it on luxury hotels, gentlemen's clubs

A erstwhile U.S. Postal Service idiosyncratic was convicted of stealing astir $1.6 cardinal successful checks to money a "lavish manner that included planetary travel, stays astatine luxury hotels, and purchases astatine gentlemen’s clubs," national prosecutors said. 

Hachikosela Muchimba, 44, of Washington, D.C., was recovered blameworthy by a national assemblage past week connected charges of message theft and slope fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. 

"According to tribunal documents, betwixt December 2020 and March 2023, Muchimba was an worker of the U.S. Postal Service erstwhile helium executed a strategy to bargain U.S. Treasury checks and backstage enactment checks from the U.S. mail," the DOJ said successful a statement. "Muchimba past deposited the checks, which helium either altered and/or falsely endorsed, into slope accounts nether his control." 

"The full magnitude of the U.S. Treasury checks fraudulently deposited into Muchimba’s assorted slope accounts was conscionable implicit $1.6 million," prosecutors added. "Muchimba utilized the proceeds of the stolen checks to money a lavish manner that included planetary travel, stays astatine luxury hotels, and purchases astatine gentlemen’s clubs." 

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Hachikosela Muchimba was convicted by a national assemblage connected charges of message theft and slope fraud, the Justice Department said. (Justice Department)

Bank surveillance images captured Muchimba making deposits and withdrawals of the funds, the Justice Department said. 

He was recovered guilty of conspiracy to perpetrate theft of message and slope fraud, theft of mail; slope fraud; engaging successful a monetary transaction successful spot derived from specified unlawful activity; and unlawful procurement of citizenship oregon naturalization.  

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The Justice Department said "Bank surveillance footage captured images of [Muchimba] making deposits and withdrawals of the funds." (Justice Department)

Sentencing successful the lawsuit is acceptable for Aug. 8, with a maximum punishment of 30 years for the slope fraud complaint and 5 years for the message theft charge. 

"Muchimba was besides recovered blameworthy astatine proceedings of unlawful procurement of naturalization," the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. "During the scheme, Muchimba applied to go a naturalized U.S. national and provided mendacious accusation to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officers by telling them that helium had not committed immoderate crimes for which helium had not been arrested.  That discourtesy carries a maximum punishment of 10 years of incarceration and imaginable administrative denaturalization." 

Muchimba "deposited the checks, which helium either altered and/or falsely endorsed, into slope accounts nether his control," according to the Justice Department. (Justice Department)

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At the clip of his apprehension successful September 2023, Muchimba was trying to fly to Zambia, WUSA9 reported, citing charging documents.