BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (TRIBUNE) – On Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona from the Northern District of Alabama announced the sentencing of several individuals involved in a scheme to distribute stolen checks and bank login credentials.
The group consisted of administrators of various fraudulent Telegram channels, a former U.S. Postal worker who accepted bribes to illegally obtain checks from the mail, and a credit union employee who improperly accessed customer account details. Sentences were delivered this week to individuals including:
Joshua Kendarius Rogers, also known as “Lucky Luciano,” 24, from Irondale–Rogers acted as an admin for a Telegram platform named “The Lucky Shop,” which sold stolen checks and bank login info. Rogers received a prison sentence of 90 months for charges including conspiracy to accept bribes, conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Rogers entered a guilty plea for these offenses yesterday.
Michael Christopher Rowser, aka “Muney Mike,” 24, of McCalla.–Rowser abused his position as a U.S. Postal employee by taking bribes to steal checks that were sold on “The Lucky Shop” channel. Rowser was sentenced to 70 months in prison for one count of conspiracy to receive bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud. A federal jury convicted Rowser of those charges in January.
Duane Wiley Smith, aka “Dubskii,” 24, of Springville–Smith was an administrator of “The Lucky Shop” and similar channels called “Glass House Records” and “Glass House Records V2.” Smith was sentenced to 48 months in prison for one count of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Smith pleaded guilty to those charges in October 2024.
Levar McGhee-Parrish, aka “Ja Moracks,” 25, of Fultondale–McGhee-Parrish was an administrator of “The Lucky Shop” and a similar channel called “GRUBHUB.” McGhee-Parrish was sentenced to 40 months in prison for one count of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud. McGhee-Parrish pleaded guilty to the charge in March.
According to court documents, “The Lucky Shop” operated as a criminal marketplace. Rogers, its primary administrator, obtained stolen checks from Rowser, a mail handler at the U.S. Postal Service’s Processing & Distribution Center in Birmingham, and then posted redacted copies of those checks on the channel to market them for sale.
When customers of “The Lucky Shop” paid Rogers to purchase stolen checks, a portion of their profits would be kicked back to Rowser.
The evidence established that Rowser received approximately $106,000 in bribe payments over the course of a year for his role supplying checks to the Telegram channel.
In addition to stolen checks, Rogers also sold bank login information, which he obtained from a corrupt credit union employee.
Smith and McGhee-Parrish assisted Rogers with the administration of “The Lucky Shop,” but also had their own Telegram channels where they sold stolen checks to scammers looking to commit bank fraud.
Beyond that, Smith and McGhee-Parrish worked with Rogers and others to commit bank fraud—depositing fraudulent checks, submitting fraudulent loan applications, initiating fraudulent Automated Clearing House transfers, and using stolen passcodes to withdraw funds from ATMs.
This case was brought as part of a crackdown on scam Telegram channels operating out of the Northern District of Alabama.
Other defendants who have been prosecuted in related cases include Mekhi Diwone Harris, who ran a Telegram channel called “Work Related,” and Gabriel Samuel Odiot, who ran a Telegram channel called “RICH OFF PLAYS.” Together, these channels are responsible for the sale of tens of millions of dollars in stolen checks.
