Postal Employee Sentenced for Her Role in Conspiracy to Steal Checks from the Mail

ST. LOUIS - U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Friday sentenced a former mail carrier who aided a check stealing and bank fraud conspiracy to a year and a day in prison and ordered her to repay $21,635.

Cambria M. Hopkins, a postal carrier based in Clayton, sold her "arrow key," which allows access to U.S. Postal Service collection boxes, to Malik A. Jones on March 20, 2022. She also told Jones which boxes the key would open. Jones then paid others to steal mail using Hopkins' key. Hopkins also sold checks multiple times to Jones that she'd stolen from mail at the Post Office and from mail while on her route. Jones paid her in cash, via CashApp or in groceries. Jones then recruited others who allowed him to use their bank accounts to deposit forged and fraudulent checks.

"The relatively small amount of money for which (Hopkins) was willing to abuse her position, undermine the public's trust, and harm those whose mail she stole speaks to the selfishness of her actions," Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow wrote in a sentencing memo. When confronted, Hopkins "lied to investigators… and attempted to cover up her crimes by then deleting her messages with Jones," Clow wrote.

Hopkins, 30, of Florissant, Missouri, pleaded guilty in August to one count of conspiracy and one count of unlawful use of a mail key.

Jones, now 28, was sentenced to 42 months in prison after pleading guilty to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

"The sentencing in this case illustrates that individuals who steal mail will be held accountable for their actions," stated Acting Inspector in Charge, Mary Johnson, who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes St. Louis. "The Postal Inspection Service is proud to work with our local, state, and federal partners to bring mail theft perpetrators to justice and prevent financial crimes targeting local citizens, postal customers, and financial institutions."

The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General and U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.