Auburn police make two more arrests in mail fraud investigation
Rondivious Corday Loveless – Photo from Auburn Police Department
Auburn police have announced that they have made two more arrests in an ongoing investigation into mail theft and stolen identities.
Police say on June 3, with the help of the Coweta County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office, they arrested 28-year-old Rondivious Corday Loveless of Decatur, Georgia, and 20-year-old Javonte Lorenzo Johnson of Detroit, Michigan, on charges of trafficking in stolen identities.
Police say after getting reports of check fraud and forgery, they launched an investigation late last year. They say detectives identified a network of suspects engaging in mail theft from various post office box locations, specifically targeting mail containing checks to create fraudulent checks for illegal funds across multiple cities and states.
Throughout the investigation, Auburn Police say they tracked the crimes and uncovered the specific methods used to commit mail thefts, allowing detectives to be ready when they found out a location in Auburn was targeted.
On the morning of June 3, police say the suspects were seen near a post office mailbox at the intersection of Ogletree Road and Moores Mill Road. Officers say they stole a substantial amount of mail from that location and then drove off.
Auburn Police say they worked with with Georgia agencies to track and apprehend them.
Javonte Lorenzo Johnson – Photo from Auburn Police Department
Coweta County Sheriff’s Deputies made a traffic stop on the suspect vehicle, detaining both occupants, Loveless and Johnson, police say. In addition to the stolen mail, Auburn Police say deputies also discovered narcotics and guns in the vehicle.
The suspects are currently awaiting extradition to Alabama to face multiple charges of trafficking in stolen identities from Auburn, in addition to charges in Coweta County.
Police say Loveless and Johnson are the eleventh arrests they’ve made, with additional suspects currently having warrants issued for their arrest. The fraud amount reached more than $350,000 as of June 12, 2023, and additional fraudulent checks are expected to be identified.
