PHOENIX (LAWFUEL) – Richard Allen Jones, 44, of Cave Creek, Ariz., pleaded guilty today to Theft of Mail by a Postal Employee. Sentencing is set before U.S. District Judge Mary H. Murguia on April 20, 2009.
The indictment alleged that from July 2007 through March 2008, Jones served as a mail carrier assigned to the Kachina Station in Scottsdale, Ariz. During his service as a letter carrier, Jones sorted through mail and stole letters containing gift cards. He then used the stolen gift cards to purchase items for himself. During a search of his home, federal officials found hundreds of stolen gift cards and pieces of mail.
A conviction for Theft of Mail by a Postal Employee carries a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison, a $ 250,000 fine or both. In determining an actual sentence, Judge Murguia will consult the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide appropriate sentencing ranges. The judge, however, is not bound by those guidelines in determining a sentence.
The investigation was conducted U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General. The prosecution is being handled by Mark Brnovich, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-08-0953-PHX
RELEASE NUMBER: 2009-021(Jones)
