United States Attorney James T. Jacks
Northern District of Texas

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2010
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txn/

FEDERAL GRAND JURY INDICTS EIGHT IN CONSPIRACY TO
STEAL MAIL

AMARILLO, Texas — A federal grand jury in Amarillo has returned a 17-count indictment charging eight individuals with various offenses related to their involvement in a mail theft conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas.

The following individuals, all from Amarillo, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit theft and receipt of stolen mail matter:

Jeffery Elliott Stees, 49
Samantha Gail Siler, 26,
Charlee Diana Burgess, 24
Kandy Sue Hill, 45
Alexander Gilbert Mendoza, 40
Mark Randall Morrison, 48
Alton Lloyd Caswell, 40
Gaboberto Longoria Montoya, 37

In addition, Stees is charged with three substantive counts of theft or receipt of stolen mail matter; Siler, Burgess, Hill and Mendoza are each charged with one; Morrison is charged with nine and Caswell is charged with three.

According to the indictment, from May 2009 through November 2010, the defendants conspired to steal mail, and stole mail from collection boxes in the Amarillo, Lubbock and Abilene, Texas, areas. The indictment further alleges that some of the conspirators used their residences to construct the devices they used to steal the mail, to collect the stolen mail and to “wash” the checks to dissolve certain portions of the checks in order to negotiate them.

An indictment is an accusation by a federal grand jury and a defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty. If convicted, however, each of the counts charged in the indictment carries a maximum statutory sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Restitution could be ordered.

The case is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy L. Drake of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Amarillo, is in charge of the prosecution.

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