It Doesn't Pay To Discover For Braintree Man

BrocktonPost
BROCKTON--A Braintree man was indicted last week in federal court for allegedly stealing Discover credit cards from the mail and then using the cards to obtain money.
Gerald K. Acholonu, 31, of Braintree, was March 7 charged with credit card fraud, obstruction of United States mail, and of aggravated identity theft, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Boston.
Officials said Acholonu has been detained since his arrest on December 22, 2011.
The charges allege that between August 2010 and May 2011, credit cards issued by Discover Financial Services destined for the Northeast were stolen.
The cards were stolen at some point between Utah and reaching their expected processing at U.S. Postal Service mail-processing facilities in the Northeast.
According to the affidavit, Acholonu worked during this period at a company that sorted the mail by ZIP code between the mail’s unloading at Logan Airport and its transportation around New England by the Postal Service.
In late April 2011, Acholonu was spotted leaving his employer’s restroom with a tray of U.S. mail.
Investigators searched the trash from his residence and found stolen Discover credit cards and other evidence that Acholonu was using or planning to use the Discover customers’ identities by setting up telephone accounts in their names.
Investigators also obtained surveillance photographs from ATMs indicating that Acholonu had used some of the cards to withdraw money.
If convicted, Acholonu faces up to 17 years of in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, restitution, forfeiture, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gain or loss, whichever is highest.