By Sam Wroblewski 630wpro.com

Two Providence postal workers are in custody after an investigation revealed they were stealing and cashing over a million dollars in US Treasury tax refund checks.

Joan Manuel Mustafa, 36 and Erick Vera Garzon, 35, both of Providence were arrested along with two other individuals were arrested after police began investigating a reports of missing tax refunds. Court documents show the investigation centered on the Providence Processing and Distribution Center after banks accounts began opening in the names of the missing checks.

Police eventually learned Mustafa and Garzon worked the night shift together and that Garzon was selling some of the checks at 20 percent of the face value to buyers on the street.

Police raided both employees’ homes April 16, and found Garzon in possession of over 900 checks valued at $1.6 million, dozens of gift cards and $33,250 in cash; $113,100 was seized from a safe deposit box. Mustafa’s residence revealed assorted Visa cards and $19,650 in cash.

The two other individuals identified as Brenda Canuelas and Secundino Velazquez Tirado were arrested May 19.

All four suspects are being charged with conspiracy and the theft of government money, among other charges.