Ex-Postal Worker Guilty As Charged, Stole More Than $1.6M In Checks

Hachikosela Muchimba is facing up to 45 years in prison

A former United States Postal Service (USPS) worker has been convicted of illegally acquiring more than $1.6 million from the service over two years.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia, announced that a federal jury found Hachikosela Muchimba, of Washington, D.C., guilty of conspiracy to commit theft of mail and bank fraud, theft of mail; bank fraud; engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from specified unlawful activity, and unlawful procurement of citizenship or naturalization. He is expected to be sentenced on Aug. 8 by U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras and will remain in the government’s custody until then.

Court papers reveal that between December 2020 and March 2023, while employed by USPS, Muchimba started stealing U.S. Treasury and private party checks from the mail. After taking the checks, he would deposit them, after altering and/or falsely endorsing them, into bank accounts that he controlled. By removing the name of the payee on the checks and placing his name on them, Muchimba was able to deposit the altered checks into his account.

Muchimba was caught on surveillance footage making deposits and withdrawing funds from the account. Through the scheme, he stole more than $1.6 million, spending the ill-gotten gains on a lavish lifestyle, including international trips, stays at luxury hotels, and visits to gentlemen’s clubs.

Muchimba was also found guilty of unlawful procurement of naturalization. While applying to become a naturalized U.S. citizen, he gave authorities with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services false information, telling them that he had not committed any crimes for which he had not been arrested.

The convicted felon faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison for bank fraud, five years for mail theft, and 10 years for unlawful procurement of naturalization and possible administrative denaturalization.