Durham man arrested after stolen checks were altered and cashed after being taken from residential mailboxes across western Johnston County.
JOHNSTON COUNTY, N.C. — A Durham man is facing felony charges after investigators say he targeted residential mailboxes in Johnston County, stealing checks and turning them into quick cash through forged transactions.
According to the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office, complaints began rolling in last year from residents in western parts of the county who noticed checks vanishing from their outgoing mail. By the time the reports stacked up, detectives had identified roughly ten victims, all hit allegedly by the suspect.
Investigators say the thefts date back to summer 2025, with stolen checks later altered, endorsed, and cashed without the victims’ knowledge.
The case took a turn after detectives tracked financial activity tied to the missing checks and matched it with security footage from ATMs and nearby businesses. That evidence allegedly led them to Amahd Marquie Alston, 24, of Durham.
Alston was arrested January 16 and formally charged with felony obtaining property by false pretenses along with uttering a forged instrument.
He bonded out of jail the next day on a $5,000 secured bond. A probable cause hearing is set for February 19, 2026.
The investigation continues.
