Man caught with FedEx package containing nearly $66K in stolen checks, sheriff says

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — The Clayton County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of a man with close to $66,000 in his car, all of it in the form of what they say were stolen checks.

Marquavius Shanard Williams had a FedEx package in his car with 54 checks from the New York area totaling $65,902.01, according to deputies.

Newly-elected Sheriff Levon Allen said the Elite Blackhawk Squad performed a traffic stop on Williams after they watched him driving while on his phone and smoking what they say appeared to be a marijuana cigar.

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During the stop, officers smelled the odor of marijuana and searched the vehicle, leading them to the FedEx package with the checks inside.

While deputies checked on Williams, they learned he was also wanted by the Atlanta Police Department for probation violation for aggravated assault, possession of MDMA, and possessing a firearm.

The Blackhawk Squad contacted one victim during their investigation, who told them she did not know Williams, nor how he had obtained one of her checks.

Allen said Williams “wrote checks that landed him a stay” with the sheriff’s office, saying that in Clayton County, “no one should try to scam, extort, or take advantage” of senior citizens.

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Stolen checks and other forms of financial fraud are nothing new.

In 2022, Channel 2 Consumer Investigator Justin Gray reported on checks going up for sale on the dark web hours after they’re mailed out by everyday people.

As recently as September, the frequency of the crime has grown in Georgia.

Georgia State University criminologist David Maimon told Channel 2 Action News that checks were posted online by criminals, for other criminals to use.

“They take pictures, upload them on platforms and upload them for sale,” Maimon said last year. “It’s not a group of adolescents stealing your mail. We’re talking organized crime groups who at the end of the day know exactly what they’re doing.”

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