SOUTHEASTERN N.C. — A 35-year-old faces nearly three years in federal prison for his involvement in a fraudulent check operation. His conviction comes as a Shallotte bank teller helped tip off law enforcement.
Eric Lamont Salvant of Snow Hill has pleaded guilty to possession of stolen mail, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and two counts of bank fraud.
Salvant and two other people were involved in obtaining stolen checks with the intent to alter them or devise new counterfeit checks. They purchased the stolen items online or would physically take them from people’s mailboxes, according to court documents.
Amounts of the checks vary, from around $14,800 deposited into a Navy Federal Credit Union account in late summer 2023, while another totaled just more than $8,800.
The transactions took place via money mules — people who illegally deposit checks on behalf of another — all of whom were recruited by Salvant. The group would then pull out the cash as quickly as possible to thwart getting caught.
It appears the fraudulent check-cashing ring lasted a few months through November 2023.
According to the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, a Shallotte bank teller helped stop the operation. Upon detecting a counterfeit item, the teller called police, who were able to search the perpetrators’ car and located other evidence of the operation.
“Salvant attempted to hide a bag full of over 50 stolen and counterfeit checks and over 30 debit cards in a variety of names on a grocery-store shelf while the police arrested his co-conspirators outside,” the attorney’s office revealed in a release Wednesday.
“Despite the many technological advances in our financial system, some fraudsters are still up to their old tricks,” U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle said, calling the crimes “shameless” and noting “Cheaters. Never. Win.”
“Checks can be stolen and used to cheat banks or innocent citizens out of honest money, especially when sent through the mail,” Ellis added. “Citizens and businesses in our district should carefully monitor payments made by checks to ensure delivery and deposit as intended.”
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