ANCHORAGE, Alaska–Three people, two of whom are a married couple, have been arrested here as part of a mail-theft ring that involved more than 500 victims and which targeted at least two credit unions.
A federal grand jury in Anchorage has indicted Amber Rose Hecker, Ronald Travis Hecker and Richard Kelly Hoglin on charges they stole checks from hundreds of people through the mail. Then, through theft and vehicle break-ins, they got the ID and bank cards they needed to cash the checks, according to the Anchorage Daily News.
The stolen mail included financial records, Social Security cards, identification cards and credit cards, according to Chloe Martin, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Alaska.
They were arrested by officers in the parking lot of the DeBarr Road Fred Meyer store in early March after getting into a vehicle reported stolen, according to police. Ronald Hecker was jailed on burglary, theft and forgery warrants and charged with second-degree theft and criminal mischief, the Anchorage Daily News said.
Amber Hecker, who gave a false name initially, was found with other people's wallet and credit cards, police said. She was jailed on warrants and charges including second-degree theft and fraudulent use of a stolen access device, the Anchorage Daily News added.
Forged Checks
According to the U.S. attorney’s office, the trio began negotiating checks from the mail "that were falsely altered and forged" in April 2017 and continued through April of 2018. Prosecutors further allege the three possessed mail stolen from more than 500 victims, including financial records, Social Security cards, identification cards and credit cards, and that they also stole checks worth more than $18,000 from 10 people.
According to prosecutors, the three would take the stolen checks, and then forge the recipient's name based on other stolen information such as IDs and bank cards. The money would be deposited in the account of another victim, and then would be immediately withdrawn from the second person's account.
Prosecutors said the scheme involved numerous Alaska USA Federal Credit Union branches and one Credit Union 1 location, the indictment says.