GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – One of the suspects in a multi-county mail theft and fraud scheme was ordered Monday to stand trial in Brown County.
Dionta Bratcher, 28, faces five counts of identity theft to obtain money or credit. Arraignment is scheduled for April 27.
Bratcher and Derrell Edwards, 28, are charged in Manitowoc County, and are expected to face charges in Outagamie County. Overall, the pair are suspected of stealing more than $600,000 from area businesses by stealing mail, then manipulating the checks and banking information to steal from those accounts.
Bratcher returns to Manitowoc County court on May 10. Edwards has an arraignment in Brown County on April 17, and a status conference May 5 in Manitowoc County.
In order for businesses to protect themselves against mail theft, deputies strongly recommend taking the following steps:
- Take checks directly to a USPS collection locations
- Sign up for Informed Delivery through USPS
- Request for mail NOT to be delivered on weekends (This can be done directly with your mail carrier according to the USPS)
- Install a USPS approved lockable mailbox
- Install CCTV systems to deter criminal activity
