FAYETTEVILLE, GA — A Fayetteville man has admitted to running a mail fraud operation involving stolen checks and a homemade mailbox trap.

Keyon Ponder, 28, pleaded guilty to federal charges after investigators say he used a homemade trap crafted from cardboard and tape, to steal checks from freestanding blue U.S. Postal Service mailboxes.

According to prosecutors, U.S. Postal Service investigators began surveillance in May 2024 after receiving reports of suspicious activity. They observed a black Tesla repeatedly pulling up to mailboxes, with the driver extending his arm into the boxes and retrieving mail.

Ponder was later pulled over by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office on I-75. Inside his vehicle, deputies found a bag containing 52 pieces of stolen mail, two cell phones, and a homemade trap matching investigators’ descriptions. Authorities also discovered more than 500 images of stolen checks stored on Ponder’s phone.

While being processed at the jail, security footage captured Ponder pulling an envelope from his clothing; inside was an additional batch of stolen checks. In total, officials recovered 59 checks worth approximately $96,000.

Ponder has pleaded guilty and now awaits sentencing. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison.