Kentucky Man Sentenced To 5 1/2 Years In Prison For Mail Theft Scheme

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – September 16, 2020 – A Trenton, Kentucky man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 65 months in federal prison for mail fraud and possession of stolen mail, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee.

Adam Perrelli, 41, pleaded guilty in June to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and theft of mail, mail fraud, and receipt and possession of stolen mail.  Perrelli along with Kaitlin Patterson, 31, and Natasha Pargellis, 36, also of Trenton, were indicted in November 2019, after a lengthy investigation into mail thefts in and around the Clarksville, Tennessee area. 

According to court documents, the defendants obtained a master key that allowed them to open mail receptacles such as street collection boxes and panels of apartment house mailboxes.  During the period of March 2018 through September 2018, the trio drove with each other and other individuals to various mail receptacles in and around the Clarksville, Tennessee area and stole large amounts of mail.  They then sorted through the mail looking for documents to use for their personal benefit, including checks, money orders, credit cards and personal identifying information.  The documents were then altered and made payable to another participant in the conspiracy and approximately $32,000 in altered checks and money orders were cashed or deposited.  The investigation identified 540 victims and uncovered an additional $540,000 in stolen checks and money orders which they intended to alter. 

Patterson and Pargellis have previously pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. 

This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Clarksville Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Levine.

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