A Princeton couple has been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a massive mail theft scheme. WNIN’s John Gibson reports:
A judge sentenced 45-year-old Michael Jerome Wright to 12 years and 36-year-old Cortney Lashea Young to two years in prison.
Wright pleaded guilty to mail theft, unlawful possession of a mail key, access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, possession of ammunition by a felon, and possession of a machinegun.
Young pleaded guilty to mail theft and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Both will serve three years of supervised release following their prison terms.
Law enforcement officials say they began receiving numerous complaints about mail theft and check forgery in 2023.
Evansville Police officers watched Postal Service collection boxes and say they saw Wright open boxes with a special key six times, sorting through mail and driving off with stolen mail.
Police say in at least two of those occasions, Young drove the getaway car.
Investigators conducted a court-authorized search of Wright and Young’s apartment in Princeton and found hundreds of checks, many of which had been reported stolen.
Authorities say the stolen checks totaled than one-point-eight million dollars.