A 24-year-old Dedham man faces federal charges for allegedly helping steal and deposit more than $12.2 million in U.S. Treasury checks over three years.

David Obeng was arrested Thursday, Sept. 24, along with three other Massachusetts men after a federal grand jury returned indictments in the case, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts announced. Obeng remains detained pending a hearing.

The co-defendants are Lynley Joseph, 26, of Brockton; Lindsley Georges, 33, of Everett; and Shaunsayh Addo, 33, of Leominster. Joseph and Addo were released on conditions after initial appearances in federal court in Boston.

Georges also remains detained.

The alleged scheme

According to the indictment, the four defendants coordinated the theft and deposit of U.S. Treasury checks totaling at least $12.2 million between 2023 and 2026. Each check had been issued to a legitimate payee but was allegedly altered to be payable to shell companies the defendants controlled.

Each defendant allegedly directed deposits at banks or credit unions around metro Boston in exchange for a cut of the proceeds.

Prosecutors allege the group laundered the stolen funds through cashier's check purchases, $310,000 in luxury watches and a $425,000 real-estate loan secured by property in Nantucket.

Additional charges against Obeng

A second indictment charged Obeng alone with wire fraud conspiracy, five counts of bank fraud, two counts of money laundering and aggravated identity theft. That indictment alleges Obeng and others gained unauthorized access to victims' bank and retirement accounts by sending texts made to look like bank alerts and by calling victims while posing as bank representatives and fraud investigators. Victims were allegedly persuaded to provide codes authorizing withdrawals.

The second indictment also alleges Obeng and others recruited people to enter bank branches, pose as customers, open accounts, deposit fraud proceeds and withdraw cash.

Potential penalties

The bank fraud conspiracy charge alone carries up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Money laundering conspiracy carries up to 20 years. The aggravated identity theft charge carries a mandatory minimum of two years, to run consecutively to any other sentence.

Georges was previously convicted of money laundering in the District of Massachusetts in January 2022 and was serving federal supervised release at the time of his alleged involvement.

All charges are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Broader investigation

The indictments are part of a larger federal crackdown on Treasury check fraud in Massachusetts. In June 2025, eight other individuals were charged with depositing $8.8 million in stolen Treasury checks in a related case. The Needham Police Department provided assistance in that earlier phase, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, which announced those charges in June 2025.

U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley said in a statement that her office and law enforcement partners remain committed to pursuing justice for victims of financial scams. The case is being investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the FBI's Boston Division and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

No defense attorney statements or responses from any of the four defendants have been made public. No next court dates for Obeng or Georges have been announced. Residents who suspect Treasury check fraud can contact the FBI's Boston Division or the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.