19 Central Illinois USPS workers indicted for wire fraud by federal grand jury

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Nineteen current and former United States Postal Service employees have been indicted by a federal grand jury. The individuals were charged with fraud related to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) administered through the Small Business Administration (SBA).

The PPP provided federally backed funds to small businesses that were directly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic to pay up to eight weeks of payroll costs, rent, utilities, and mortgage interest. The program was implemented by the SBA and administered by third-party lenders. The PPP was enacted via the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act, an economic bill that passed in March 2020 in response to the economic fallout caused by the pandemic.

The indicted individuals, all current or former United States Postal Service employees, are:

Dominique Alexander, 31, of Downers Grove, Illinois, formally of Springfield, was charged in September 2023 with two counts of wire fraud.
Tenneil Baskin, 42, of Springfield, Illinois, was charged in September 2023 with two counts of wire fraud.
Breanea Brown, 28, of Savoy, Illinois, was charged in September 2023 with one count of wire fraud.
Rachaundra Donaldson, 33, of Springfield, Illinois, was charged in September 2023 with two counts of wire fraud.
Maya Egbejima, 25, of Springfield, Illinois, was charged in September 2023 with two counts of wire fraud.
Larry Eubanks, 35, of Springfield, Illinois, was charged in September 2023 with two counts of wire fraud.
Angela Gillespie, 35, of Champaign, Illinois, was charged in September 2023 with one count of wire fraud.
Patrice Green, 47, of Springfield, Illinois, was charged in August 2023 with four counts of wire fraud.
Charles Hughes, 34, of Atlanta, Georgia, formally of Springfield, was charged in September 2023 with two counts of wire fraud.
Marcus Jones, 39, of Springfield, Illinois, was charged in September 2023 with two counts of wire fraud.
Sarah Jones, 43, of Danville, Illinois, was charged in September 2023 with one count of wire fraud.
Jasmine Morris, 30, of Champaign, Illinois, was charged in February 2023 with two counts of wire fraud.
Shakeena Mosley, 35, of Springfield, Illinois, was charged in September 2023 with four counts of wire fraud.
Ainmere Sangster, 32, of Champaign, Illinois, was charged in September 2023 with one count of wire fraud.
Diamond Vinson, 29, of Springfield, Illinois, was charged in August 2023 with four counts of wire fraud.
Uniqua Whitaker, 27, of Urbana, Illinois, was charged in March 2023 with one count of wire fraud.
Ta Sheena White, 32, of Urbana, Illinois, was charged in March 2023 with one count of wire fraud.
Rikkia Williams, 33, of Springfield, Illinois, was charged in September 2023 with two counts of wire fraud.
Shawntelle Lynn, 31, of Springfield, Illinois, was charged in October 2022 with two counts of wire fraud.

The individuals have either already been arraigned or have been issued a summons to appear in federal court in Springfield or Urbana for arraignment. If convicted, the maximum statutory penalties for the alleged crimes charged are a maximum of 30 years’ imprisonment, a maximum five-year term of supervised release, and restitution.

All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.