A Chicago man accused of taking part in a large mail-theft and check-fraud operation across Northeast Wisconsin has been bound over for trial in Outagamie County.
Derrell J. Edwards, 31, appeared in custody for a preliminary hearing, where a judge found probable cause to move the case forward. WBAY reported that Edwards is scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 9 at 11 a.m.
Prosecutors allege Edwards and co-defendant Dionta Bratcher were involved in a cross-state operation targeting business mail across Northeast Wisconsin.
The Outagamie County prosecution concerns conduct tied to the broader Northeast Wisconsin investigation that previously produced cases involving Edwards and Bratcher in Brown, Manitowoc and Winnebago counties.
Investigators Say More Than $424,000 From Stolen Checks Was Cashed
The investigation began after businesses in and around the Village of Greenville reported mail being taken from business mailboxes during overnight and weekend hours in late 2022 and early 2023.
According to the Green Bay Press-Gazette’s review of the criminal complaint, investigators identified at least 73 stolen pieces of mail from 25 Outagamie County businesses. The complaint alleges at least $424,815 in stolen checks was successfully cashed, while another $218,531 was presented unsuccessfully.
One check that investigators said was fraudulently cashed was worth $226,500.70.
The Press-Gazette reported that Edwards and Bratcher were each charged in Outagamie County with 12 felonies. Those include theft of movable property greater than $100,000 as a party to a crime, seven additional theft counts involving amounts between $10,000 and $100,000, other theft counts involving smaller amounts and theft of at least 30 pieces of mail.
A Traffic Stop Uncovered 61 Stolen Checks
Investigators linked the defendants to the wider investigation after a vehicle registered to Bratcher was repeatedly seen near businesses that reported mail thefts. Witnesses also reported seeing someone using the vehicle remove mail from business mailboxes, according to the complaint as described by the Press-Gazette.
On Feb. 5, 2023, the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office stopped the vehicle on Interstate 43. Edwards was driving and Bratcher was the passenger. Officers searched the vehicle and found 61 checks with a combined value of approximately $121,040, according to the complaint. Investigators determined the checks had been stolen, primarily from Brown County businesses.
The complaint also said investigators found at least 36 photographs of checks on Edwards’ phone. Those checks belonged to businesses and individuals, primarily in Outagamie, Brown and Winnebago counties.
Earlier reporting from WBAY, citing the Outagamie County Sheriff’s Office, said stolen checks connected to the wider investigation were altered, duplicated and deposited through mobile banking or ATMs. The sheriff’s office said similar cases across the Fox Valley and Northeast Wisconsin appeared to be related.
Edwards Has Faced Related Cases in Other Wisconsin Counties
Edwards previously faced cases arising from the wider investigation in Brown and Manitowoc counties. In Brown County, he pleaded no contest to seven identity-theft counts in September 2023. He was placed on three years of probation with two years of conditional jail time.
In Manitowoc County, Edwards pleaded guilty to three theft counts and one marijuana-possession count and was sentenced to 90 days in jail, according to the Press-Gazette.
Winnebago County also charged Edwards with theft of 10 to 29 pieces of mail. That case remained open after Edwards allegedly removed a GPS monitoring device and missed a court hearing, but prosecutors dismissed the Winnebago mail-theft charge in April 2026.
Bratcher was separately convicted and sentenced in cases in Manitowoc, Brown and Winnebago counties. The current Outagamie prosecution concerns another group of alleged thefts and check transactions connected to the broader investigation.
Businesses Can Make Mailed Checks Harder to Steal and Alter
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service advises businesses sending checks to use letter slots inside a Post Office or hand outgoing mail directly to a letter carrier rather than leaving valuable mail unsecured.
For incoming mail, eligible business addresses can use USPS Informed Delivery to preview incoming letter-size mail and track expected deliveries. USPS says business street addresses and business PO Boxes can enroll when the address is eligible.
The Postal Inspection Service also recommends that businesses confirm checks and other financial instruments reach the intended recipients and ask their banks about fraud-prevention services. Its guidance specifically identifies tools such as positive pay, which can add another verification step before checks drawn on a business account are paid.
Businesses should review account activity promptly and flag checks that remain outstanding longer than expected. The Postal Inspection Service advises suspected check-fraud victims to contact their bank, local law enforcement and postal inspectors as soon as possible.