SARASOTA, Fla. — A Sarasota postal worker was arrested for stealing more than $70,000 in checks from customers' mail, according to the police department.
Detectives began a check fraud investigation in January after two separate customers said they didn't receive checks that were mailed to them. Both people contacted the businesses that sent the payments and were told the checks were deposited into unknown accounts.
After submitting subpoenas for bank records, police said they learned that 75 different checks, totaling $70,109.28, were fraudulently deposited — affecting 60 different companies. This is believed to have happened between May 2022 and April 2023.
Detectives interviewed 13 different people from the affected companies. All 13 said they mailed checks through USPS which were either picked up by a carrier or dropped off at one of three Sarasota locations.
Police confirmed that 27-year-old Anabel Ossombi, a USPS mail sorter, worked at all three locations. Ossombi was arrested on Wednesday at the post office on Beneva Road and taken to the Sarasota County Jail.
She faces multiple felony charges, including criminal use of personal identification, scheme to defraud and money laundering.
Police offered a list of tips from the United States Postal Inspection Service for customers to protect their mail:
- Promptly pick up mail
- Inquire about overdue mail
- Do not send cash
- Arrange for prompt mail pickup
- Request signature confirmation
Detectives are continuing to search for more people who may have had mail stolen by Ossombi. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Jessica Sullivan at 941-263-6076 or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers by calling 941-366-TIPS or online.