A former Mobile postal worker and her accomplice will spend several years in federal prison for a multimillion dollar check fraud scheme targeting U.S. mail.

According to a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama, Kalaijha Tomeco Ranier Lewis and Brian Christopher Williams III defrauded various banks and credit unions from November 2021 to June 2023.

Lewis, who was a postal worker, was allegedly recruited by Williams to steal and sell him valuable business checks.

The stolen checks equaled over $17 million and Williams sold them to other scammers through a Telegram channel.

In June 2023, federal investigators began surveillance at the Saint Joseph Street post office where Lewis worked, according to court documents. Lewis was arrested by officials after she was caught stuffing stolen checks down her pants.

“On June 23, 2023, agents confronted Lewis after capturing her on video stuffing a large stack of stolen checks into her pants before the end of her work shift,” the press release stated.

“Lewis confessed that for several months, she stole business checks for Williams, who paid her $2,000 to $3,000 for each stack of stolen checks that she brought him.”

Williams was arrested the same day at a gas station where he was waiting to receive the stolen checks from Lewis. Williams admitted to having $10,000 in cash that included proceeds from the check scheme.

$417,000 worth of stolen checks were also found in Williams’ vehicle during his arrest.

Williams was sentenced to serve 100 months in federal prison while Lewis will serve 60 months.

Williams and Lewis were both ordered to pay $234,246 in victim restitution and a total of $300 in special assessments for their crimes.