Former Mail Carrier and co-conspirator sentenced to Federal Prison for quarter-million-dollar Identity Theft and Fraud scheme using stolen mail
Robenson Fenelon, 31, and Squille Traxler, 30, of Indianapolis, have been sentenced to 54 months (4.5 years) and 15 months, respectively, in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and theft of stolen mail. Fenelon additionally plead guilty to aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, from at least January 2019 through December 2020, Fenelon and Traxler conspired with mail carriers in a scheme to steal the identities of at least fifty victims in Fishers and Indianapolis and used that information to defraud financial institutions of a total of $244,222.93.
At the time of the offenses, Traxler was employed as a Mail Carrier with the U.S. Postal Service. Fenelon recruited Traxler to assist in identifying potential identity theft targets. Fenelon and Traxler used Traxler’s access to the mail to obtain the targets’ identity information, including names, dates of birth, social security numbers, addresses, phone numbers, and bank account numbers. Fenelon then used that information to access and take over the victims’ bank accounts or to open new bank accounts in the victims’ names.
Fenelon contacted the victims’ banks, purporting to the victims or their relatives, and requested a new debit or credit card for the victim’s account. For the newly established accounts, Fenelon applied online or over the phone for new accounts and credit cards. Fenlon and Traxler then stole the credit cards from the victims’ mail. Fenelon and Traxler used the cards to withdraw cash and make personal purchases. They stole checks from the mail and deposited them into the bank accounts they controlled.
The United States Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judge, Sarah Evans Barker. Judge Barker also ordered that Fenelon and Traxler be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 3 and 2 years, respectively, following their release from federal prison and pay $244,222.93 in restitution.
United Way hosts Blue Jean Ball
You’re invited to the 1st Annual Blue Jean Ball as the Monroe County United Way kicks off their fall fund drive for Monroe County and South-Central Indiana.
The Blue Jean Ball is a fun, memorable evening featuring live music by Cody Ikerd and the Sidewinders, delicious BBQ from the Great White Smoke (vegetarian option available), a signature fall flavor of Bruster’s ice cream, and a lively silent auction. All proceeds benefit United Way of Monroe County & United Way of South Central Indiana to help people in our region move from ‘poverty to possibility’.
- Featuring: LIVE MUSIC * BBQ * ICE CREAM * SILENT AUCTION
- Date: Thursday, September 21, 2023
- Time: 5:00-7:30 pm
- Location: Whippoorwill Hill, 1780 E Rayletown Rd, Bloomington, Indiana
- Buy Tickets: https://bluejeanball.eventbrite.com/
- Website with this information: https://www.monroeunitedway.org/bluejeanball
IU bridges language barrier between US Military and Ukraine
The Language Training Center at Indiana University answered the call when the United States military contacted them for communications assistance during the war in Ukraine.
Within a month of the Russian invasion in February 2022, about one-quarter of Ukraine’s population had fled the country. They were displaced throughout the world, with the majority relocating to eastern and western Europe. Bridging the language barrier between members of the U.S. military and Ukrainian military partners and refugees became increasingly important, driving the military’s request for IU to create a Ukrainian phrase book.
The Language Training Center has completed similar projects for military partners before, including a Pashto-Dari phrase book for Camp Atterbury that was provided to first responders and refugees to simplify communication.
The 32-page Ukrainian phrase book includes roughly 20 sections on different topics, including conversational basics, greetings and farewells, food and drink, transportation and directions, and medical and military terminology. Each section contains three columns showing phrases in English, followed by translation into Ukrainian and phonetic pronunciations in Latin characters.
City of Bloomington Black y Brown Arts Festival seeks artists
The City of Bloomington encourages local artists of color to apply for participation in the Fifth Annual Bloomington Black y Brown Arts Festival (BYB). The two-day event will take place Friday, September 8th at the 4th Street Garage Storefront, kicking off with a gallery exhibit from 6-9 p.m., and a film screening starting at 9pm. On Saturday, September 9th, at the Switchyard Park Pavilion, the BYB art market will open from 1-3pm, with performances beginning at 4pm The festival seeks to raise and expand art appreciation, create a space that affirms persons of color in the community, and provide a medium for local talent to showcase visual and performing arts in an environment that engages the audience with artists and their work, while enhancing Bloomington’s spirit of inclusion.
The festival is supported by the City of Bloomington’s Commission on Hispanic and Latino Affairs and Safe and Civil City Program (part of the Community and Family Resources Department) along with the Bloomington Arts Commission and City departments of Economic and Sustainable Development and Parks and Recreation.
The free, family-friendly event will include a visual arts exhibition in the pavilion and a performance showcase on stage, with food trucks offering items for purchase. Visual, literary, and performing artists who identify as African, African-American, Hispanic, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander and Indigenous American are encouraged to apply for participation in the festival by exhibiting works of visual art or craft, or performing dance, music, spoken word, or other art forms. Participating artists will also have the opportunity to sell their artworks or associated merchandise at the venue.
Artists may apply for participation at bloomington.in.gov/byb, where they will be asked to submit an image or recording of their work along with a biography and headshot. Submissions are due Monday, August 29 by 5:30 p.m. For artists interested in reserving a space to sell their work, there is a $10.00 non-refundable application fee. Additional information is available at bloomington.in.gov/byb.
This Week in Hoosier History
1987 – The Pan American Games opened in Indianapolis. Over 4300 athletes participated from 38 countries. Thousands of volunteers helped coordinate the 30 sports which were played in 23 venues around the city.
For more local news . . . Check out our archived episodes of What’s Happenin’ and Talkin’ Sports with Nick Jenkinson