Federal prosecutors have charged four individuals in connection to a $63 million fraud operation that involved stealing checks and selling them online using Telegram messaging channels.
According to a criminal complaint filed May 22, 2025, the defendants are:
• Jaiswan Williams, 31, of Rochester Hills
• Daquan Foreman, 30, of Eastpointe
• Vanessa Hargrove, 39, of Detroit
• Crystal Jenkins, 31, of Detroit
Hargrove and Jenkins were both U.S. Postal Service employees.
Prosecutors say they used their access to steal high-value mail, including IRS tax refund checks and other negotiable instruments, which they then passed on to Williams and Foreman in exchange for payment.
Williams and Foreman allegedly ran two Telegram channels — “Whole Foods Slipsss” and “Uber Eats Slips” — where they posted photos of stolen checks for sale. “Slips” is a slang term used in these schemes to refer to stolen checks.
The Telegram channels targeted different price ranges. Checks listed on “Uber Eats Slips” had face values under $1,500 and sold for about $75 each, with a “buy 4, get 1 free” offer. Meanwhile, “Whole Foods Slipsss” showcased high-dollar checks worth tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, all sold at deep discounts. Payments were made through platforms like Cash App, Apple Pay, and Bitcoin.
Buyers who subscribed to the Telegram groups contacted the admins to arrange off-platform transactions. The stolen checks were then deposited or used to create counterfeit versions, allowing purchasers to attempt fraudulent withdrawals from financial institutions.
The total face value of checks posted through these Telegram groups was over $63 million.
If convicted, the defendants face up to 30 years in prison.
