Dionta Bratcher appears in court via Zoom, April 10, 2023. PC: Fox 11 Online
OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – One of the suspects in a multi-county mail theft and financial fraud scheme was sentenced Monday to another 18 months in prison.
Dionta Bratcher, 29, was also placed on extended supervision for two years by Judge Teresa Basiliere, court records show.
Last week, Bratcher was sentenced to two years in prison for a Brown County case. He was previously sentenced to six months in jail in Manitowoc County.
Bratcher and Derrell Edwards are suspected of stealing more than $600,000 from area businesses by stealing mail, then manipulating the checks and banking information to steal from those accounts.
Edwards was sentenced to two years in prison by a Brown County judge. He was sentenced to three months in jail in Manitowoc County. A Winnebago County case is still pending.
Both could face charges in Outagamie County, but nothing has been filed yet there. Outagamie County investigators say the stolen checks were either cashed or attempted to be cashed online or at ATM locations. It is believed the total amount of stolen checks from the Greenville Industrial Park surpassed $500,000.
In order for businesses to protect themselves against mail theft, police recommend taking the following steps:
- Take checks directly to a USPS collection locations
- Sign up for Informed Delivery through USPS
- Request for mail NOT to be delivered on weekends (This can be done directly with your mail carrier according to the USPS)
- Install a USPS approved lockable mailbox
- Install CCTV systems to deter criminal activity
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