Mayra Alejandra Soria, 30, of Los Angeles, has been sentenced to four years and nine months in prison for her involvement in a scheme to steal mail in Bakersfield and Wasco.
Along with her co-defendants, Soria targeted U.S. mail collection boxes at post offices, using homemade devices to ‘fish’ mail from the boxes. The stolen mail was then used to commit identity theft and steal checks, with the total value of stolen items exceeding $120,000.
Soria was one of four co-defendants who were indicted as part of Operation Broken Mailbox, a joint effort by the United States Postal Inspection Service and local law enforcement to investigate and prosecute stolen mail offenses.
According to court documents, Soria and her co-defendants conspired to steal mail from March 17, 2013, until May 21, 2013. The stolen mail was used to steal checks and commit identity theft, with the defendants often altering and negotiating the stolen checks by depositing them into accounts they had opened in the names of the identity theft victims.
Soria’s co-defendants received the following sentences: Eric Alberto Herrera, 27, of Los Angeles, was sentenced to two years in prison; Elisee Torres-Pacheco, 36, of Los Angeles, received three years of probation; Brisa Castillo, 33, of Los Angeles, was sentenced to five months in prison; and Mateo Manuel Santiago, 25, of Bakersfield, received one year in prison.
Assistant United States Attorney Megan A. S. Richards prosecuted the case, with the United States Postal Inspection Service leading the investigation. Inspector in Charge Rafael Nunez stated, ‘we are working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners in law enforcement to arrest and prosecute those responsible for mail theft to protect postal customer’s mail from theft.’
Soria will pay $13,735 in restitution as part of her sentence. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting mail and personal information from theft.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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