Milwaukee mail theft 'Scamily' leader sentenced to federal prison
Huria Abu
MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee man, described as the crime ring leader of a so-called "Scamily" that robbed mail carriers and washed checks, has been sentenced to federal prison.
Huria Abu sentenced
In Court:
Federal prosecutors said 22-year-old Huria Abu was sentenced to 12 years and four months in prison. After prison, he will spend five years on supervised release.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
Abu, among others, was also charged in Milwaukee County in addition to the federal case. On Friday, court records show he reached a plea deal and was sentenced to two years in state prison and three years of extended supervision.
Featured
Milwaukee street takeovers; police hope to curb, hold people accountable
"Street takeovers" have been taking over Milwaukee streets recently, raising concern among residents and city officials.
‘Scamily’ crime ring
The backstory:
Between October 2022 and April 2023, mail from around 50 mailboxes was stolen from Shorewood and Milwaukee's northeast side. Court filings said the "Scamily" robbed mail carriers at gunpoint and used stolen keys to get into the mailboxes.
When police raided a home in Milwaukee's Harambee neighborhood in January 2023, prosecutors said they found guns, drugs, cash and arrow keys stolen in December 2022. Boxes of blank checks, mail, acetone to remove ink from checks and 900 checks from 42 different places – made out to hundreds of people totaling more than $500,000. They also found branded "Scamily" merchandise.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
Dig deeper:
Federal prosecutors filed charges against eight members of the "Scamily." In addition to Abu, four men have already been sentenced for their individual roles in the case:
- Jessie Cook, 21: Sentenced in August 2024 to seven years and 10 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release
- Abdi Abdi, 24: Sentenced in April 2024 to eight years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release
- Darrion Allison, 24: Sentenced in November 2024 to six years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release
- Abdi Baba, 27: Sentenced in July 2024 to 10 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release
In the federal sentencing for one of the defendants, one mail carrier wrote: "I enjoy my job as a mail carrier. To bring the American people their mail and correspondence is a great honor to uphold." But then said: "The day that I was robbed at gunpoint by these troubled souls was terrifying" and "my trust for people outside my family, and friends, is gone."
The Source: Information in this report is from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Milwakuee County District Attorney's Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court.