Charlotte Man Sentenced to Prison for Bank Fraud Conspiracy And Aggravated Identity Theft In Stolen Check Scheme

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A Charlotte man was sentenced to prison today for his role in a scheme involving stolen checks, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Desmond Aldo McKelvey, 44, was sentenced to 54 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. On June 13, 2025, McKelvey pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Donald "Trey" Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Charlotte Field Office, and Rodney Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), which oversees North Carolina, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.

"Mr. McKelvey had plenty of opportunities to realize what he was doing was wrong - he stole checks, created false identification documents, and opened bank accounts in someone else's name," said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. "This crime is heavy burden on both its victims and our financial system, and we will work hard to prosecute and prevent it."

"The defendant schemed to steal checks, used phony identification, and then redirected the money for personal use," said Special Agent in Charge Eakins. "IRS-CI will continue its investigative efforts working alongside the U.S. Attorney's Office to protect the integrity of our nation's tax administration system and the American taxpayers."

"The U.S. Postal Inspection Service values our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Western District of North Carolina who helped bring this investigation to a successful conclusion," Inspector in Charge Hopkins. "The events of today serve as yet another example of the unending dedication of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and its law enforcement partners to halt the devastating effects of identity theft."

According to court filings, from June to September 2023, McKelvey and his co-conspirators defrauded financial institutions through a scheme involving stolen checks, including U.S. Treasury checks. McKelvey and others obtained the stolen checks online or through other means, and then used fictitious identification in the names of the victims to whom the checks were payable to open bank accounts. McKelvey then deposited the stolen checks and withdrew the funds before the financial institutions could detect the fraud. The total face value of checks associated with the conspiracy exceeded $900,000.

McKelvey will be ordered to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

In making today's announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended IRS-CI and USPIS for their investigation and thanked the Huntersville Police Department for its substantial assistance.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.