A Prince George’s County, Maryland, woman was charged to over nine years in prison for her role in a check-stealing scheme that cost more than $5 million.

On April 9, Tianna Cosby, a.k.a. “Mendoza,” 24, was sentenced in a Maryland District Court, months after pleading guilty to commit mail and bank fraud as well as aggravated identity theft.

She, along with four other coconspirators, stole more than 700 checks from U.S. Postal Service collection boxes and from a mail distribution center in Capitol Heights between March and August of 2021.

According to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland , Cosby conspired with Marche Sisco, 26, of Suitland; Tommi Cosby, 21, of District Heights; Biniah Carter, 24, of Upper Marlboro; and Zion Oluwademilade Adeduwon, 22, of Bowie. The five stole checks from the mail, altered them and then deposited them into their own accounts.

The Attorney’s Office said Cosby was the “leader of the conspiracy,” for stealing checks out of collection boxes, recruiting “account mules” and altering the checks to be deposited.

Cosby also had the fraudulent checks “sent to intermediary bank accounts that the coconspirators controlled, allowing her to conceal the nature, source, and destination of the fraud proceeds,” the USAO wrote in the release. The money was transferred in shell companies created by Cosby to launder the funds.

Officials said Cosby spent the funds on multiple designer handbags and jewelry, costing a combined $137,555. She also bought a BMW costing over $110,000.

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