A former postal worker has been sentenced for his role in a mail theft conspiracy, where he stole credit cards being mailed out to customers.
Sometime in 2008, then postal worker James Olabode Laniyan, of Grand Prairie, was approached by Sulaimon Olasode, of Houston, about stealing mail from the post office, the US Attorney's Office revealed Thursday.
The two worked as a team, where Laniyan would take credit cards before they could be delivered to their rightful recipients and send them to Olasode in Houston. Olasode would then activate and use the stolen cards. Both men benefited financially from the agreement.
The duo ran the scheme until Aug. 2009. That's when members of Discover Financial Services' organized crime unit identified more than 40 credit cards mailed to customers in the Dallas area that were reported to be never received, but then later used. Most of those cards were being used in the Houston area, the US Attorney's Office said.
Investigators with the U.S. Postal Service's Office of Inspector General were able to quickly identify Laniyan and Olasode as the culprits.
Before it was all said and done, about 150 victims had their Capital One or Discover credit cards stolen by the two, investigators said.
Laniyan pleaded guilty in February to one count of conspiracy to possess stolen mail matter and commit fraud.
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In Jan. 2010, Laniyan's co-conspirator, Sulaimon Olasode, pleaded guilty to the same offense and was sentenced last month by Judge Solis to 48 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution jointly and severally with Laniyan.
Olasode is in federal custody. Following his sentence he will be referred to U.S. Immigration authorities for deportation to Nigeria, the Department of Justice Said.
