Two men are being accused of stealing mail from hundreds of Metro Detroit homes in an effort to defraud one or more banks.
Justin Lohman and Justin Cutshaw are being charged with several federal criminal counts of identity theft, bank fraud stolen mail and aiding and abetting. A 13-page criminal complaint against the pair alleges that they knowingly possessed stolen mail and used personal identifying information contained within that stolen mail to execute an ongoing scheme to defraud one or more banks.
The complaint also alleges that the men were stealing checks that were issued to several victims. The duo reportedly attempted to make a purchase using false identification and stolen checks at a well-known home improvement store. The store denied the transaction, and the two men left the store.
At least four police departments are involved in the investigation, including departments from Grand Rapids, Livonia, Westland and West Bloomfield. Police reportedly searched both of the mens’ homes and discovered stolen mail from at least 228 different victims. Police also discovered 19 additional stolen mail victims from six different communities in evidence that the men left at a Grand Rapids hotel.
Lohman and Cutshaw are accused of stealing mail from a number of cities, including Canton, Clinton Township, Farmington Hills, Livonia, Northville, Novi, Plymouth, Redford and Westland.
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