Two Arrested, Charged in Northern Wake County Mail Theft, Check Fraud Scheme

Deputies announced that they arrested and charged two people in connection with a months-long mail theft and check fraud scheme that affected residents in northern Wake County and drew investigative help from Pitt County authorities.

Wake County deputies say the probe began after a northern Wake County woman reported Sept. 10, 2025, that two checks she put in the mail were altered and deposited into an unknown bank account. Deputies received a second report Nov. 9, 2025, when another victim discovered that a mailed check’s funds had been deposited into an unfamiliar account. Investigators say the cases were linked in mid-December when Pitt County Sheriff’s Office investigators contacted Wake County deputies after locating checks bearing a Wake County resident’s personal information during the execution of a search warrant on Dec. 19, 2025.

After what the Wake County Sheriff’s Office described as a five-month-long investigation, deputies arrested two suspects identified by name and age. One source set out the arrest announcement this way: “Deputies on Wednesday said they arrested and charged two people…” The two people identified in reporting are 23-year-old Dickens (sources vary on first-name spelling as either Deniya Dickens or Geniya Dickens) and 21-year-old Tahagi Brown. The variation in Dickens’s reported first-name spelling appears across official communications and media reports; the age of 23 is consistent.

Dickens faces an extensive list of felony counts: 12 counts of felony larceny of a chose in action, two counts of forgery of an instrument, two counts of uttering a forged instrument, one count of attempt to obtain property by pretenses (some reports alternatively describe this charge as “attempt to obtain property by false pretense” or “attempt to obtain property by false pretenses”), and one count of felony conspiracy. Brown is charged with one count of felony conspiracy.

Sheriff Willie Rowe emphasized the investigative work and the effects of such crimes: “This five-month-long investigation highlights the diligent work by our investigators. Our office takes fraud and financial crimes seriously, as they can have significant financial and emotional impacts on victims. We encourage residents to report suspicious activity as soon as possible.”

Following the arrests, deputies said a follow-up investigation identified two additional victims. Deputies also stated the investigation is ongoing and that no additional information was available at the time of the announcement. Authorities have not released court dates, bond amounts, booking locations, or details about the mechanisms used to alter checks or deposit funds.

For Wake County residents, the case underscores continuing risks to mailed financial instruments and personal information. Residents who send checks should consider secure mailing options, closely monitor account activity after mailing payments, and report unusual bank transactions or mailbox tampering to local law enforcement and postal inspectors. The sheriff’s office has urged anyone with information related to these incidents to contact deputies.

What comes next will be formal charging and any court filings that follow; deputies say they will provide updates as the investigation develops and more information becomes available.