September 3, 2009

WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO POSSESSION OF STOLEN MAIL

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that April Lang, 26, of Essex Junction, Vermont, was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Court Judge, William K. Sessions, III, to twelve months and one day of incarceration and three years of supervised release. She was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $16,856.13 to her victims.

According to Court records, during July and August of 2007, April Lang drove around residential areas of Essex Junction and Williston, Vermont, stealing mail from residential mail boxes. When she found envelopes that contained checks, she washed the checks in dry gas to remove any handwriting in ink. Then, she rewrote the checks making them payable to herself for larger sums of money. She cashed the checks at the drive-up windows of several local banks by presenting her Vermont driver’s license as proof of identity. Her mail theft was discovered when several area residents discovered that their checking account balances were lower than expected.

Lang was indicted on March 20, 2008 by a federal grand jury. After being served with a summons, Lang was arraigned on May 12, 2008. On September 19, 2008, Lang pled guilty to counts one through four of the indictment charging her with possession of stolen mail.

This case was investigated by the Essex and Williston Police Departments and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The United States Attorney, Tristram J. Coffin, commends those agencies for their work. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Woodcock and Nancy J. Creswell. Lang was represented by Attorney John St. Francis.