Providence man sentenced to prison after stealing identities, over 100 pieces of mail

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Providence man who admitted to stealing both the identity and U.S. Mail of at least two individuals, including checks that he deposited into his own bank accounts after forging the check endorsement, has been sentenced to two years and one day in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Marquis D. McNair pleaded guilty on September 30, 2021, to two counts of aggravated identity theft, five counts of possession of stolen mail, and two counts of bank fraud.

According to charging documents and information presented to the court, in December 2017, an individual filed a complaint with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service that a Change of Address form had been filed in that person’s name without their consent. Subsequently, the investigation determined that the complainant’s mail was being forwarded to McNair’s residence.

Further investigation determined that several checks addressed and made out to the complainant were forwarded to McNair’s residence, fraudulently endorsed, and deposited into bank accounts he opened in his own name. The money was quickly withdrawn from ATMs.

According to information presented to the court, a court-authorized search of McNair’s residence in April 2018 resulted in the seizure of approximately 110 pieces of first-class mail addressed to individuals other than McNair; a binder with the names and personal identifying information of about 20 individuals; and check stubs of individuals whose mail had been stolen and whose checks had been fraudulently endorsed and cashed by McNair.

At sentencing on Tuesday, U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., sentenced McNair to two years and one day in federal prison to be followed by three years of federal supervised release. He was ordered to pay restitution totaling $7,548.13.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.

The matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with the assistance of the Providence Police Department.