New Haven Man Pleads Guilty To Stealing Mail

HARTFORD — A New Haven man has pled guilty in federal court for mail theft, identity theft and bank fraud in connection with his stealing of private mail from people's mailboxes.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, announced Friday Marquis Williams, 45, of New Haven, pleaded guilty Thursday in Hartford federal court to a charge stemming from a mail theft, identity theft and bank fraud scheme.

This matter has been investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service and the Hamden, Wallingford, Waterford, Guilford and Old Saybrook police departments.

According to court documents and statements made in court, since at least 2018 through November 2019, Williams and his associate, Dara Morrison, stole mail from hundreds of residential mailboxes in Connecticut.
The mail pieces contained checks, driver’s licenses, passports, social security cards, banking information and other personally identifying information from businesses and individuals throughout Connecticut, including elderly nursing home residents.
Williams and Morrison used stolen identities to produce fake identification and then used the fake identification to cash or deposit stolen checks.
Williams and Morrison also used the stolen checks to create additional, forged copies of checks they then cashed or deposited into accounts they opened using stolen identities.
Morrison also used and attempted to use stolen credit cards, federal law enforcement officials said.
More than 70 bank fraud victims have been identified during this investigation.
The government contends Williams and Morrison stole $118,452.26 through this scheme and they attempted to steal another $58,416.
Williams pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years.
He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant on Sept. 14.
Morrison, 41, of New Haven, pleaded guilty to the same offense on May 12, 2021. She also awaits sentencing.
Williams and Morrison are detained pending sentencing.
Williams’ and Morrison’s criminal histories include prior federal convictions for similar crimes.
In 2002, Williams was sentenced to 51 months of imprisonment for conspiracy, identity fraud and credit card fraud offenses.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Oakes and Hal Chen.