A Fayetteville, North Carolina, postal worker is now behind bars for stealing over $750,000 in U.S. Treasury checks, including tax refunds, Veterans Affairs benefits, and Social Security disability payments, according to federal authorities, as reported by The Gateway Pundit.
Zerion Marcos Franklin, a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee, was sentenced to four years in prison and three years of supervised release for his brazen theft.
He was also ordered to pay restitution to the U.S. Treasury. Franklin’s criminal scheme targeted some of the most vulnerable Americans, including the elderly and disabled.
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Franklin’s downfall began during a routine traffic stop in June 2024. Fayetteville police officers found drug paraphernalia in his vehicle, prompting a search that uncovered 47 U.S. Treasury checks, marijuana packaged for sale, a loaded 9mm handgun, and over $22,000 in cash.
The checks, dated between April and May 2023, included federal tax refunds and crucial government benefits.
One victim, an elderly New Hanover County resident, reported that her tax refund check had been stolen, altered to display Franklin’s name, and cashed at a Fayetteville Walmart.
For Franklin, the government’s checks were a cash cow; for his victims, they were lifelines ripped away.
U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr., emphasized the gravity of Franklin’s betrayal, stating, “Our American postal service is a public trust, staffed with civil servants bound to prioritize the public’s interests above personal gain. Most postal employees honor their oath. This postal employee is the rare exception, stealing three-quarters of a million dollars in U.S. Treasury funds, including tax refunds, from the mail and robbing hardworking American taxpayers in the process. The consequence is clear: steal mail, face prison.”
Kathleen Woodson, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, echoed these sentiments. “The vast majority of Postal Service employees are honest, hardworking individuals who would not violate the public’s trust in this manner. An employee who decides otherwise will be aggressively investigated by OIG Special Agents. This case serves as an excellent example of successful collaboration between federal and state law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to pursue and prosecute Postal Service employees.”
Franklin’s actions tarnished the reputation of a service Americans rely on daily. However, his conviction serves as a stark warning: those who exploit the public trust will face justice.
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