15 Charged in $620K Mail-Theft Bank Fraud Conspiracy Tied to 'Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation'

Federal prosecutors in northern New York announced charges on Oct. 1 against 15 alleged members and associates of the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation, accusing them of a bank-fraud conspiracy that investigators say used stolen checks to carry out fraudulent transactions totaling more than $620,000.

Allegations and Charges

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York says a criminal complaint charges the defendants with conspiring to defraud individuals, financial institutions and the U.S. Treasury. Prosecutors allege the group operated since at least September 2024 and sought revenue through crimes including bank fraud by stealing checks from home and business mailboxes and altering or converting them for fraudulent payments.

The complaint was announced as part of a multi-agency investigation dubbed Operation Certified Delivery, involving the FBI Albany Financial Crimes Task Force, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, IRS Criminal Investigation and the Albany Police Department, among other federal, state and local partners.

Named Defendants

The complaint names the following individuals:

• David Robinson (also known as 'RR' and 'Double')
• Wayne Samuels (also known as 'Spazz' and 'Doobie')
• Nygel Hall
• Markese Jones (also known as 'Milly')
• Justin Clarke (also known as 'JT')
• Amari McEwan-White
• Christopher Michel
• Jevon McKain (also known as 'Mojo')
• Jeffrey Ghee (also known as 'Drama')
• Tori Staton (also known as 'Tip')
• Derrick Bradford (also known as 'DB' and 'Da Bully')
• Antoinette Gueits (also known as 'Baggz')
• Arthur Lilly
• Michael Carter (also known as 'Stunna')
• Eric Strong (also known as 'Nuski')

Each defendant is charged with participation in a bank-fraud conspiracy. That count carries statutory maximum penalties of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, and up to five years of supervised release. Officials emphasize those figures are the maximums under the law, not predictions of any sentence if a defendant is convicted.

Legal Note: The charges are allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

Local Proceedings and Custody

Local reporting indicates that Jeffrey Ghee, 39, of Medina and also known as 'Drama,' was taken into federal custody following a separate local investigation. The Western District of New York court calendar lists United States v. Jeffrey Ghee, case 6:26-mj-00598, with a detention hearing scheduled in Rochester on Oct. 5 at 3 p.m. The Northern District federal bank-fraud charge is separate from the local Medina matter.

Investigative Work and Evidence

FBI Albany Special Agent in Charge Craig Tremaroli said investigators linked checks allegedly stolen from mailboxes to fraudulent banking transactions. IRS Criminal Investigation personnel traced purported illicit proceeds as part of the broader operation. The combined efforts of postal inspectors, financial investigators and local police contributed to the complaint and related arrests.

How To Protect Yourself

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service warns that stolen checks can be altered — for example, by changing the payee or the dollar amount — or cloned using copied banking details. Their safety recommendations include:

• Deposit outgoing checks at a Post Office counter or a collection box before the last pickup rather than leaving them in an unsecured mailbox.
• Collect incoming mail promptly and contact the sender if an expected check does not arrive.
• For businesses, confirm that checks issued from business accounts reach recipients and ask your bank about fraud-monitoring tools such as positive pay.
• If you find a stolen, altered or counterfeit check, contact your bank immediately and report suspected mail theft or check fraud to the Postal Inspection Service.

Authorities encourage anyone with information about this investigation to contact the relevant federal or local law enforcement agencies.