EVANSVILLE, IN – A Princeton, Indiana couple is accused of running a brazen, year-long scheme to steal mail and forge checks totaling over $1 million, and authorities say the operation was backed up by illegal firearms, including a homemade machinegun. Michael Jerome Wright, 44, and Cortney Lashea Young, 35, both of Princeton, have been hit with federal charges following a months-long investigation.
The investigation began in October of 2023, with a flood of complaints regarding stolen mail and counterfeit checks hitting local law enforcement. The scale of the fraud quickly became apparent, with the total value of stolen and forged checks exceeding $1 million. Investigators with the Evansville Police Department began surveillance of USPS collection boxes in March, and quickly zeroed in on Wright. On five separate occasions, they witnessed him using an arrow key – a restricted access tool for postal service locks – to open collection boxes, sift through the mail, and drive away with the stolen contents. Young was reportedly behind the wheel for at least two of these heists.
The arrow key, investigators say, is critical to the operation. These unique locks secure USPS collection boxes and mailboxes, and only authorized postal workers are permitted to possess or use the keys. On April 3rd, police caught Wright and Young in the act, stopping their vehicle after observing Wright pilfering mail from a USPS box. A search of the vehicle revealed the arrow key and a significant amount of stolen mail, including approximately 100 wedding invitations. A subsequent search of their Princeton apartment uncovered a mountain of stolen checks and envelopes, confirming the scale of the fraud.
But the mail theft wasn’t the only illegal activity. Authorities also discovered two handguns hidden under the mattress in the couple’s bedroom. One was a partially 3D-printed “ghost gun” – a privately made firearm without a serial number, making it untraceable. More disturbingly, the ghost gun had been modified with a “Glock switch,” a device that transforms a semi-automatic pistol into a fully automatic machinegun. The second firearm was a Ruger LCP .380 caliber pistol. Investigators also recovered two 30-round extended magazines.
Both Wright and Young are prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to extensive prior felony convictions. Wright’s rap sheet includes convictions for operating a vehicle as a habitual traffic violator, operating a vehicle while intoxicated, dealing in a synthetic drug, and even a murder conviction in Cook County, Illinois. Young has a prior conviction for fraud. They are now facing serious federal charges: Wright is charged with mail theft, unlawful possession of a mail key, access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, possession of ammunition by a previously convicted felon, and possession of a machinegun. Young is charged with mail theft and possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.
The investigation was a collaborative effort involving the U.S. Secret Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Evansville Police Department. If convicted, both Wright and Young will face sentencing determined by a federal district court judge, taking into account U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers is prosecuting the case.
Related Federal Cases
- Michael Jerome Wright, Mail Theft with Firearms, Indiana 2026 · Illinois
- Michael Wright, Mail & Identity Theft, Indiana 2024 · Illinois
- Derrick Barbour, Machine Gun Possession, Mail Theft, IN 2024 · Illinois
- Derrick Barbour, Mail Theft, Machine Gun Possession, IN 2024 · Illinois
- Alexis Young, Aggravated Identity Theft, Hammond IN, 2016 · Illinois
Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Weapons
- Source: Official Press Release
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