Court documents and the complaint released by the District Attorney for Queens County in New York reveal that Guyanese Michael Williams aka Mike Bigz may have been the ringleader and the brainchild behind the baggage scam at New York’s JFK airport which resulted in five persons including Williams and another Guyanese man being charged for stealing money orders, cheques and credit cards from U.S mail.
In the complaint, U.S District Attorney Richard Brown said “according to the criminal complaints, the combined thefts allegedly totaled more than $27,000.
Court documents reveal that between July 2013 and February 2014, the defendants are variously accused of taking checks and money orders ranging from $100 to $1,000 that were being sent through overseas mail to recipients in Japan, China and Korea, and depositing the checks and money orders into their own bank accounts, sometimes writing their own name over the names of the intended recipients.
In addition, they are accused of taking credit cards that were being mailed to individuals and using them to purchase electronics from two different “Best Buy” kiosks at JFK airport, including multiple iPad minis and Samsung Galaxy tablets.
The District Attorney’s Office revealed a timeline of the evidence collected in the case implicating Williams as the suspected ringleader. The U.S Government has video evidence implicating the man and the other defendants as well as bank records which show the stolen cheques and money orders being deposited into Williams’ accounts. Video recordings of those deposits being made are also part of the evidence the U.S Government intends to introduce in the case.
Among the crimes charged are the following:
*On October 23, 2013, defendant Michael Williams is accused of depositing into his own bank
account an International Postal money order for $500, which in fact was being mailed to Japan and was
intended as a child support payment.
*On October 29, 2013, defendant Michael Williams is accused of depositing into his own bank
account two postal money orders for $1,000 and $725, respectively, which in fact had been purchased by
a member of the armed services from an overseas military base and were being mailed home to Missouri.
*On September 23, 2013, defendant Michael Williams allegedly deposited into his own bank
account a $500 Western Union money order that in fact had been purchased by a woman who sent it via
U.S. mail to her father in South Korea.
*On October 4, 2013, at approximately 7:50 a.m., defendants Michael Williams and Alexander
Fluellen allegedly used a stolen American Express credit card to purchase three Apple iPad minis from a
“Best Buy” vending machine kiosk near Gates 1 and 2 at JFK airport. Several minutes later the defendants
allegedly used the same credit card to purchase three more Apple iPad minis from a “Best Buy” vending
kiosk located near Gates 9 and 10.
*On October 8, 9 and 10, 2013, respectively, defendant Anthony Austin allegedly deposited a $700
U.S. Postal money order into his own bank account. The three $700 money orders had in fact been
purchased by a woman who had sent them via U.S. mail to her father in Japan.
*On September 23, 2013, defendant Michael Williams allegedly deposited into his own bank
account a $500 Western Union money order that in fact had been purchased by a woman who sent it via
U.S. mail to her father in South Korea.
Williams was released on bail after his court appearance. The case was investigated by United States Postal Inspector Eduardo Gelpi, under the supervision of USPIS Supervisory Agent A.P. Malaiko and by the JFK Criminal Investigation Unit of the Port Authority Police Department under the supervision of Chief Matthew Wilson.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Catherine C. Kane, Chief, Airport Investigations Unit, of the District Attorney’s Organized Crime and Rackets Bureau, under the supervision of Gerard A. Brave, Bureau Chief, and Mark L. Katz, Deputy Bureau Chief, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Peter A. Crusco and Deputy Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Linda M. Cantoni.
One Response to "Guyanese man seen as ringleader in JFK mailbag scam"
You must be logged in to post a comment Login