Man with Prior Convictions for Stealing Mail Sentenced Again for Mail Theft

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a man with prior federal convictions for stealing mail was again sentenced in federal court today for stealing mail, following a police chase from a bank where he was attempting to cash a fraudulent check.

Ronald L. Hines, also known as Ronald Hinds, 64, pleaded guilty to stealing mail and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to two years and six months in federal prison without parole. Today’s sentence must be served consecutively to a two-year sentence Hines received upon the revocation of his supervised release. The court also ordered Hines to pay $8,504 in restitution.

By pleading guilty today, Hines admitted that he stole outgoing mail from rural mailboxes in the Kansas City metropolitan area in both Missouri and Kansas in June 2014. Hines stole mail from at least two victims in Platte City, Mo., and at least three victims in Shawnee, Kan.

Hines used the stolen mail to write or cash $8,504 in fraudulent checks. Not all of the fraudulent checks were successfully cashed.

On June 28, 2014, Hines attempted to pass a fraudulent check at US Bank in Shawnee, Kan. Hines fled the bank when the police arrived. He led police officer on a car chase that ended when Hines’ car struck a curb and a utility pole. Hines was arrested for forgery and fleeing a law enforcement officer. His vehicle was searched and several items were recovered, including checks stolen from the mail.

Hines was interviewed on the day of his arrest by officers of the Overland Park, Kan., Police Department. He admitted his involvement in the mail theft/bank fraud scheme. Hines also admitted he used his previous criminal connections to access books of blank stolen checks or in some cases he would trade drugs and money for blank books of checks.

Hines has prior federal convictions in the Western District of Missouri for stealing mail and bank fraud in 1997 and again in 2009. Hines was still under supervised release following his five-year sentence for the 2009 convictions when he committed the thefts in this case. Hines also has a prior state conviction for stealing mail in 1977.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jane Pansing Brown. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.