Metro Atlanta Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud in Stolen Check Scheme

A Fayetteville man who orchestrated a bank fraud scheme involving stolen checks taken from a Macon mail collection box and sold online has pleaded guilty in federal court.

Keyon Ponder, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud before U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal on March 24. He faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine. A sentencing date has not yet been determined.

According to court documents, investigators from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) began looking into reports of stolen mail and bank fraud in Macon on May 29, 2024, after multiple complaints about theft from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Blue Box on Georgia Avenue near the Macon Post Office. Inspectors discovered a homemade “trap” in the box—a device made of cardboard designed to hold mail near the opening for easy retrieval.

On May 31, a USPS employee reported seeing a black Tesla repeatedly stopping at the collection box. The employee photographed the vehicle’s tinted tag cover and license plate and provided the images to investigators. Surveillance footage later showed the Tesla’s driver, identified as Ponder, reaching into the Blue Box and appearing to remove mail.

Later that day, USPIS inspectors observed Ponder in the same black Tesla pulling up to the USPS Blue Box and reaching inside. Ponder’s fingerprints were found on the “trap” inside the collection box. He was later stopped by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office for a traffic violation while traveling on I-75. Officers found a bag of mail in plain view on the passenger floorboard, along with cardboard and tape matching the materials used to create the homemade “trap.” Ponder was taken into custody on outstanding warrants.

At the time of his arrest, Ponder had 52 pieces of stolen mail, including 42 checks totaling more than $20,000. While in custody at the Monroe County Jail, he was seen on security footage attempting to hide additional stolen checks behind a screen in the booking area. Deputies recovered 17 more checks and a USPS Postal Money Order, bringing the total value of stolen checks in his possession to approximately $96,000.

A federal search of Ponder’s two cell phones uncovered evidence of an extensive fraud scheme. Investigators found more than 500 stolen check images and communications from a Telegram channel Ponder operated, where he sold stolen checks to a network of 136 individuals. Messages on the app revealed details about transactions involving the stolen checks. Ponder admitted to knowingly selling and offering stolen checks for sale.

The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Howard is prosecuting the case.