A former U.S. Postal Service mail carrier assigned to Mount Vernon, New York, used her route to steal checks, credit cards, financial mail, tax documents, Social Security cards, and personal information from residents and businesses she was supposed to serve.
Federal prosecutors identified the former carrier as Tameka Babulal, 38, of Hempstead, New York. She was also known as Tameka Williams, Sharniece Williams, and Meek Williams, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
The scheme ran from about December 2022 through May 23, 2024, and involved hundreds of pieces of stolen mail from hundreds of victims on Babulal’s Mount Vernon route.
She Took Sensitive Mail From Her Own Route
Prosecutors said Babulal abused her USPS job by taking mail that passed through her route in Mount Vernon.
The stolen items included checks, credit cards, financial mail, tax documents, Social Security cards, and other sensitive materials.
The victims included elderly people in their 90s, young adults in their early 20s, business owners, churchgoers, military personnel, and other residents, according to prosecutors.
After the mail was stolen, it was kept at the Hempstead home Babulal shared with her husband and co-conspirator, Joel Babulal.
The Stolen Mail Included Checks, Cards, and Identity Documents
Law enforcement searched the Babulal residence on May 23, 2024, and found dozens of checks, Treasury checks, and money orders in victims’ names.
Prosecutors said officers also recovered 51 credit cards in other people’s names, unopened financial mail that appeared to contain checks or credit cards, several Social Security cards and tax documents, bundles of unopened mail and packages, and a USPS postal bin filled with victims’ undelivered mail.
Some of the checks were blank or washed, meaning they could be altered and used in check fraud.
The Mail Theft Fed Credit Card, Check, and Identity Fraud
Federal prosecutors said Babulal and her co-conspirators used victims’ names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, addresses, and other identifying information to open accounts, submit credit card applications, activate payment cards, and attempt transactions.
The credit card portion of the scheme involved about $40,922.41 in fraudulent transactions.
The check fraud portion involved $13,510 in fraudulent transactions using stolen checks. Prosecutors also said Babulal possessed at least $78,705.05 in additional checks and money orders.
Babulal pleaded guilty in March to charges including mail theft, wire fraud, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and false statements. She was later sentenced to 39 months in federal prison.
Joel Babulal pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to steal and possess stolen mail and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 14, 2026.
Missing Mail Can Be the First Sign of a Bigger Financial Problem
Anyone who suspects mail theft should report it to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. If the concern involves possible misconduct by a postal employee or contractor, reports can also be made to the USPS Office of Inspector General.
People whose checks, cards, tax documents, Social Security cards, or financial mail may have been stolen should contact their bank or card issuer, review account activity, request replacement cards or account numbers where needed, and save any notices or transaction records.
The FTC’s IdentityTheft.gov provides recovery steps for identity theft. A fraud alert or credit freeze can also help stop someone from opening new accounts with stolen personal information.