KC Reporter

A Kansas City woman has pleaded guilty in federal court to her role in a bank fraud scheme involving a stolen and altered check.

According to federal prosecutors, Aviance Shepard, 34, admitted that in March 2023 she obtained an $881,324 check belonging to another individual after it was stolen from the United Parcel Service mail stream. Shepard opened a business account at a local financial institution using the name of the check's payee and deposited the stolen and altered check into this account on March 27, 2023.

The following day, Shepard secured five cashier’s checks totaling $320,000 for herself and others. She also withdrew $20,000 in cash from the same account.

On March 27, 2023—the same day as the deposit—the original issuer of the check discovered it had been lost or stolen from a UPS package and requested a stop payment. However, by the time the bank processed this request, Shepard had already withdrawn $340,000 through cashier’s checks and cash.

Shepard faces up to 30 years in federal prison without parole for bank fraud under federal statutes. "The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of Shepard will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen D. Mahoney is prosecuting this case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation.