GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — One of the suspects in a multi-county mail theft and fraud case was sentenced Friday to two years in jail by a Brown County judge.
Derrell Edwards, 29, previously pleaded no contest to seven counts of identity theft. He was also placed on probation for three years by Judge Beau Liegeois.
Before the sentence was issued, Edwards said he took ownership for this role in the thefts, and apologized to the victims. He also apologized to his family for letting them down.
Edwards and Dionta Bratcher also face charges in Manitowoc and Winnebago counties, and may face charges in Outagamie County.
Overall, the pair are suspected of stealing more than $600,000 from area businesses by stealing mail, then manipulating the checks and banking information to steal from those accounts.
Edwards has a preliminary hearing Oct. 16 in Winnebago County. He was sentenced to three months in jail in Manitowoc.
Bratcher has an arraignment Oct. 13 in Brown County, and a plea hearing Oct. 16 in Winnebago County. He was sentenced to six months in jail in Manitowoc County.
In order for businesses to protect themselves against mail theft, police recommend taking the following steps:
- Take checks directly to a USPS collection locations
- Sign up for Informed Delivery through USPS
- Request for mail NOT to be delivered on weekends (This can be done directly with your mail carrier according to the USPS)
- Install a USPS approved lockable mailbox
- Install CCTV systems to deter criminal activity
