A former U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee, Hachikosela Muchimba, has been convicted of masterminding a $1.7 million mail theft and bank fraud scheme and falsifying his citizenship application.
Muchimba, 44, worked as a letter carrier at the Friendship Post Office in D.C.
During his tenure, Muchimba stole 98 checks, primarily from the U.S. Treasury, valued at over $1.6 million, by altering payee names or forging endorsements to deposit them into seven bank accounts he controlled.
Surveillance footage from banks showed him often making transactions in his USPS uniform.
“Muchimba used the proceeds of the stolen checks to fund a lavish lifestyle that included international travel, stays at luxury hotels, and purchases at gentlemen’s clubs,” the Department of Justice said in a press release.
The press release added, “During the scheme, Muchimba applied to become a naturalized U.S. citizen and provided false information to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officers by telling them that he had not committed any crimes for which he had not been arrested. That offense carries a maximum penalty of ten years of incarceration and possible administrative denaturalization.”
In September 2023, Muchimba was arrested at Dulles International Airport. He was carrying $2,000 in cash, a Zambian passport, and a ticket to Zambia.
Last week, a jury convicted Muchimba of conspiracy to commit mail theft and bank fraud, mail theft, bank fraud, engaging in monetary transactions with illicit proceeds, and the citizenship-related charge.
Muchimba now faces up to 30 years for bank fraud, five years for mail theft, and 10 years for the naturalization offense. His sentencing is scheduled for August 8, 2025, before U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras.
U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., described the crimes as a “betrayal of public trust.”
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