Stamford Man Charged in Scheme to Wash and Cash More Than 100 Stolen U.S. Treasury Checks

A Stamford man has been charged in connection with a scheme that funneled more than 100 stolen U.S. Treasury checks, worth several hundred thousand dollars, through a network of recruited bank accounts, and investigators say he flaunted the cash online.

According to federal prosecutors, the Connecticut Organized Financial Fraud Task Force began investigating in 2024 after Social Security checks mailed to recipients in Connecticut and New York were stolen from the mail. As the investigation grew, authorities say they found that more than 100 stolen Treasury checks had been deposited into the bank account of a single individual.

Investigators allege 23-year-old Bradleigh Rival exchanged Apple Cash payments with that account holder and was part of a group that acquired checks stolen from the mail and "washed" them, altering the named payee. The checks were then allegedly deposited into the bank accounts of people the group recruited.

Once the money cleared, prosecutors say, the group pulled it out in several ways. Funds were allegedly withdrawn at ATMs and through mobile banking apps, taken as cash back on store purchases, or spent on U.S. Postal Service money orders using debit cards.

The scheme may have been hard to trace on paper, but investigators say Rival made part of their job easier. According to prosecutors, his social media accounts contained numerous photos of him posing with large amounts of cash stolen during the scheme.

Rival was arrested Sept. 16 on a federal criminal complaint charging him with bank fraud, theft or possession of stolen mail, and aggravated identity theft. Bank fraud carries a maximum of 30 years in prison, the stolen mail charge carries up to five years, and aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year sentence that must be served consecutively. He's currently free on a $200,000 bond.

The case remains under investigation by a coalition of federal and local agencies, including the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, multiple federal inspector general offices, and the Stamford Police Department. A criminal complaint is only an allegation, and Rival is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.