A Georgia woman offered three stolen checks worth at least $30,000 for $600 in an online exchange, according to federal prosecutors. The checks were part of an operation in which payments taken from the mail were altered and advertised for sale on social media.
Mikela Kendrick, 24, of Byron, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud on October 29, 2026, before U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal. The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced her plea on November 2.
Investigators examined photographs of stolen checks on Kendrick’s social media account and searched her home in September 2025. They recovered 112 stolen checks and other payment instruments with a combined face value of $395,101.43, prosecutors said.
Investigators Found Nearly $300K in Check Images on Social Media
Prosecutors said Kendrick advertised altered checks through her social media account and told one prospective buyer that she typically offered them in bundles. Investigators reviewed images of checks posted to the account and calculated that their combined face value was at least $299,789.57.
Between August 2024 and September 2025, Kendrick and another individual allegedly obtained checks stolen from the mail and altered their payee names or dollar amounts, according to prosecutors.
A Search Found 112 Stolen Checks and Materials Used to Alter Them
Investigators executed a search warrant at Kendrick’s residence on September 4, 2025. The recovered items included 112 stolen personal and business checks, money orders and cashier’s checks, with individual check amounts ranging from $5 to $155,408.81, according to the federal announcement.
Officers also found blank check stock, identification and bank cards bearing different names, printers, computers, ink cartridges, ink-stained cotton swabs, antifreeze and water-removal products. Prosecutors identified several of those supplies as materials used to remove or change information on checks.
Kendrick’s arrest that September had already been reported by 41NBC as part of an investigation involving stolen checks from Monroe, Bibb, Houston, Fulton and Richmond counties.
Five Altered Checks Worth $21,550 Were Deposited Into Her Account
During approximately three weeks in August 2025, at least four stolen and altered checks worth $1,000 each were deposited into Kendrick’s checking account, federal prosecutors said.
They also identified a separate $17,550 check that Kendrick stole and altered before it was deposited into the same account. Together, those five specifically identified deposits had a combined face value of $21,550.
Federal Docket Confirms Guilty Plea and $15,000 Unsecured Bond
Prosecutors filed a one-count criminal Information on October 9, 2026, according to the federal docket for United States v. Kendrick, case 5:26-cr-00041 in the Middle District of Georgia. At her October 29 arraignment before Magistrate Judge Charles H. Weigle, Kendrick initially entered a not-guilty plea and received a $15,000 unsecured bond. A change-of-plea hearing before Judge Royal had already been scheduled for later that morning.
Kendrick subsequently pleaded guilty to Count 1 before Judge Royal, and the court recorded a plea agreement and waiver of indictment the same day. Prosecutors say the offense carries a statutory maximum of 30 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The docket says sentencing will be set at a later date.
What to Do if a Mailed Check Is Altered or Cashed by Someone Else
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service advises sending checks through a post office or a collection box before its final pickup and retrieving incoming mail promptly. Customers can also compare images of processed checks with their original payments to see whether a payee or amount was changed.
Anyone who discovers that a mailed check was stolen and cashed should contact their bank or credit union immediately and request an investigation. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau explains that protections for forged endorsements depend on the circumstances and applicable law. Suspected mail theft can also be reported to the Postal Inspection Service.