A Montgomery woman has been sentenced to a decade in federal prison for her role in a wide-ranging mail theft and bank fraud scheme that netted hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulent deposits, federal authorities announced.
Acting U.S. Attorney Kevin Davidson said Rhashema Shackleford, 37, of Montgomery, was sentenced on April 1, 2026, to 120 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. “There is no parole in the federal system,” the release noted. In addition to her prison term, the court ordered Shackleford to pay a money judgment of $376,679.95.
According to court records and her plea agreement, Shackleford participated in a scheme from August 2022 through June 2023 involving multiple co-conspirators who stole mail and used the contents to commit bank fraud. Authorities said Shackleford and others obtained checks from the mail, altered them, or used them to create counterfeit checks for deposit into various bank accounts.
Prosecutors detailed how Shackleford worked with co-conspirators Laportia Webster, 32, and Otis Daniels, 48, to carry out the scheme. “Shackleford worked with others … to obtain checks from the mail, alter them, or use them to create counterfeit checks for deposit into various bank accounts,” the release stated.
Between August 26, 2022, and January 20, 2023, Shackleford and Webster used Webster’s bank accounts to conduct approximately $114,311.50 in fraudulent deposits, according to officials. In a separate set of transactions between December 29, 2022, and February 7, 2023, Shackleford and Daniels used his accounts for roughly $264,368.16 in fraudulent deposits and withdrawals. Authorities said Shackleford ultimately obtained and cashed three cashier’s checks totaling $64,000.
Investigators also uncovered additional fraudulent activity, including a March 31, 2023, deposit of a $12,480.29 check drawn on a business victim’s account. During a June 16, 2023, search of Shackleford’s residence, agents found “stolen checks, identification documents, and other materials used to facilitate fraud,” according to the release.
Shackleford pleaded guilty on September 18, 2025, to conspiracy to commit bank and mail fraud. Daniels has already been sentenced to 27 months in prison for his role, while Webster is scheduled to be sentenced on April 15, 2026.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and the Montgomery Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Patrick Lamb prosecuted the case.
