By: Richard L. Smith
According to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney's Office, an East Orange man has been sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for his involvement in a bank fraud conspiracy connected to the theft of checks from U.S. mail.
Baba Diakite, 23, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. U.S. District Judge Esther Salas handed down his sentence in Newark federal court.
Diakite's co-conspirator, Nasir Johnson, was sentenced last year to 49 months in prison after admitting to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, mail theft, and possession of stolen mail, as well as the theft of a U.S. Postal Service key.
Court documents and statements made during the proceedings reveal that between January 2020 and March 2022, Diakite, Johnson, and other accomplices engaged in a scheme to steal checks from mailboxes across New Jersey.
Federal officials said they used stolen U.S. Postal Service keys to access mail collection receptacles, targeting envelopes containing checks.
The stolen checks were then sold to third parties or altered and deposited into bank accounts, allowing the conspirators to withdraw the funds fraudulently.
Diakite admitted to causing financial losses ranging from $550,000 to $1.5 million as part of the scheme.
Following his incarceration, Diakite was ordered to serve three years of supervised release in addition to his prison sentence.