Miami postal employee arrested after investigators recover 451 Treasury checks worth more than $1 million

Arrest at Northwest 72nd Avenue postal facility follows targeted operation

A U.S. Postal Service employee was arrested in Miami on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, after investigators said they stopped him from leaving a postal facility with hundreds of U.S. Treasury checks valued at more than $1 million.

The suspect was identified as Sylvester Green Byrd, 35. Authorities said he was taken into custody at a USPS facility at 2200 NW 72nd Ave., a major mail hub in Miami-Dade County.

What investigators say happened inside the building

The arrest followed a multi-agency operation launched after investigators received credible reports alleging that Treasury checks were being unlawfully removed from circulation at the facility.

Investigators said that on February 11 a shipment of U.S. Treasury checks arrived at the site and was routed to Byrd by another employee for sorting and delivery. Postal agents reported that Byrd was later observed concealing a large quantity of checks inside his shirt and moving away from his workstation toward an exit.

Investigators said they detained Byrd near the exit and recovered 451 U.S. Treasury checks whose combined value exceeded $1 million.

Authorities also reported that Byrd was observed using a blue iPhone during the alleged conduct, a detail investigators said raised the possibility of coordination with one or more additional participants.

Charges filed and custody status

Miami-Dade County jail records list Byrd as booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. The listed charges include:

• One count of first-degree grand theft
• More than 50 counts of fraudulent use or possession of personal identification information

As of Thursday morning, February 12, 2026, bond was listed as “to be set,” and he remained in custody.

Why Treasury checks are a high-value target

U.S. Treasury checks can include payments tied to federal benefits and other government obligations. When stolen from the mail stream, they can be used in broader fraud schemes that rely on forged endorsements, identity information, or third-party intermediaries to attempt negotiation at financial institutions.

Authorities have increasingly emphasized interagency coordination in these investigations because Treasury-check theft often intersects with identity fraud, financial crimes, and organized resale networks.

Agencies involved and what comes next

The operation included the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the U.S. Secret Service, and the North Miami Beach Police Department.

The case is expected to proceed through the Miami-Dade court system on the state-filed charges, while investigators continue reviewing whether any additional suspects or related incidents are connected to the recovered checks.