United States Attorney
Northern District of Texas

1100 Commerce St., 3rd Fl.
Dallas, Texas 75242-1699

Telephone (214) 659-8600
Fax (214) 767-0978

PAIR SENTENCED IN MAIL AND ID THEFT RING

More than 5000 Pieces of Stolen Mail Recovered

Richard B. Roper, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, announced that Bedford, Texas, residents, Andrea Garay and Joseph Murnin were sentenced today in federal court in Fort Worth Texas, by the Honorable John McBryde, United States District Judge. Garay was sentenced to 60 months imprisonment and Murnin was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment. They were ordered to pay approximately $30,000 in restitution.

In June 2006, Andrea Garay pled guilty to one count of theft of mail matter and Joseph Murnin pled guilty to two counts of possession of stolen mail.

When police officers executed a search warrant at an apartment located on Meadow Park Circle in Bedford, Texas, on March 30, 2006, they found nearly 5000 pieces of stolen mail in the apartment which was occupied by Andrea Garay and Joseph Murnin. In addition, officers found driver’s license templates, social security cards and computer equipment. The stolen mail was from approximately 38 different cities. Garay and Murnin were arrested and have been in custody since that time.

A review of the stolen mail found in the apartment revealed a box of Bank of America checks which had been stolen from the account holder’s mailbox in Bedford. This account holder discovered that someone was using her stolen checks and provided a photocopy given to her by her bank of a check that was made payable to Andrea Garay. The investigation showed that another check from this account holder’s box of checks was used by Garay at the CVS Pharmacy located at Central and Harwood Drive in Bedford.

Further investigation showed that some mail, including boxes of checks and a Discover credit card had been stolen from a mail box in Colleyville, Texas. Murnin used this credit card on March 5, 2006, at an Avis rental located at DFW Airport to rent a pickup truck.

U.S. Attorney Roper praised the investigative efforts of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Euless and Bedford, Texas Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Nichols.

# # #