Mikela Kendrick, 24, of Byron, Georgia, has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud in a scheme involving stolen checks, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia said.
Kendrick entered the plea before U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal. Prosecutors said she and an accomplice obtained checks between August 2024 and September 2025, then used chemicals to erase and rewrite payee names and amounts.
Prosecutors said Kendrick advertised the altered checks for sale on social media, offering them in bundles of three for $600 each. Every check carried a face value of at least $10,000, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Home search recovered stolen checks
A search of her home on September 4, 2025, turned up 112 stolen checks, money orders and cashier’s checks with a combined face value of $395,101, along with supplies used in the washing process.
Prosecutor cites second case in days
U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes said the case marked the second federal prosecution by his office in just a matter of days involving defendants accused of stealing checks from the mail and exploiting hardworking citizens and small businesses for personal gain. He said the office remains committed to working with law enforcement partners to identify, investigate and prosecute those who prey on the public.
Investigation and potential penalties
Investigators from the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office and the Warner Robins Police Department conducted the probe.
Kendrick faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a $1 million fine at sentencing.
