Zerion Marcos Franklin, a former U.S. Postal Service employee, was sentenced to four years in prison for stealing more than $750,000 in U.S. Treasury checks, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced Friday.
Franklin, employed at the Fayetteville mail processing annex, was caught after a traffic stop in June 2024. Fayetteville police noticed drug paraphernalia in his vehicle and conducted a search, during which they found 47 U.S. Treasury checks, which were addressed to individuals and entities other than Franklin.
The checks, dated between April and May 2023, included federal tax refunds, Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits, and Social Security disability benefits. In addition to the stolen checks, police discovered marijuana packaged for sale, a loaded 9mm handgun, and over $22,000 in cash.
Shortly after the traffic stop, a report was made to the New Hanover County sheriff’s office from an elderly victim whose tax refund check had been stolen. The check had been intercepted, altered to reflect Franklin’s name, and cashed at a Walmart in Fayetteville in May 2023.
U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. commented, “Most postal employees honor their oath, faithfully delivering billions of parcels every year. This postal employee is the rare exception, stealing three quarters of a million dollars in U.S. Treasury funds, including tax refunds.”