A former United States Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier in California has been sentenced to 63 months in federal prison for stealing checks, debit cards, and credit cards from mail over a period of three years.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Monday (December 8) that 31-year-old Mary Ann Magdamit, a resident of Carson, California, pleaded guilty in August to a conspiracy to commit bank fraud charge. Federal Judge John F. Walter handed down the final ruling on Monday, imposing the 63-month sentence and ordering her to pay over $660,000 in restitution.
According to court documents and the plea agreement, Magdamit worked as a mail carrier at the Torrance branch of the USPS. Between 2022 and July 2025, she allegedly stole mail containing checks, personally identifiable information (PII), debit cards, and credit cards. After activating stolen bank cards online, she used them for shopping and also sold some of the cards to associates.
The stolen mail also included checks from the Department of Treasury and debit cards from the Employment Development Department (EDD), which are typically benefits distributed by the government to individuals on unemployment, disability, and paid leave. Prosecutors stated in sentencing memos, “Many of the vulnerable and unbanked rely on postal services to receive Department of Treasury checks or EDD debit cards, which were the exact targets of Magdamit’s theft.”
Court documents revealed that Magdamit allegedly orchestrated the cashing of stolen checks through associates, often using individuals with fraudulent identification to cash the checks in the name of the payee.
With the proceeds from the theft, Magdamit lived lavishly, buying luxury items and traveling abroad. According to photos provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, she also flaunted luxury items and vacation snapshots on social media platform Instagram, proudly displaying bundles of hundred-dollar bills.
In December 2024, law enforcement officers discovered 133 stolen credit and debit cards, 16 Department of Treasury checks, and a Glock-clone handgun loaded with bullets in Magdamit’s apartment. This unserialized “ghost gun” was equipped with an extended magazine capable of holding 27 rounds. A black handgun has also been seen in her online displays of wealth.
Investigators also found luxury items, including Rolex watches, purchased with the stolen credit cards during the search.
The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG) is actively combating any theft, delay, or destruction of mail.