Rico Alvarez, Theft of Mail, Oregon 2020
Portland Man Sentenced to Prison for Stealing Over 400 Mobile Phones
A former U.S. Postal Service employee, Rico Alvarez, 24, has been sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison for stealing mobile phones out of packages at the Portland postal sorting facility.
Alvarez was sentenced on an unknown date, but pleaded guilty on July 20, 2020, to a charge of Theft of Mail. As part of the sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Michael Simon ordered Alvarez to pay $253,550 in restitution.
According to court documents, beginning in August 2019, Alvarez, an employee of the United States Postal Service, began stealing smartphones placed into the mail for delivery to customers. Over the course of the next three months, Alvarez stole more than 400 phones, by surreptitiously opening the box as it passed his mail sorting station, removing the phone, and then sending the empty package on for delivery to the intended recipient.
On the day he was caught by OIG Special Agents, he had over a dozen stolen phones in his possession. When interviewed, Alvarez admitted to stealing high-end, recently released, smartphones, which he subsequently sold for his own profit.
U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams stated, “It is imperative that the community has confidence and trust in the integrity of the U.S. Postal Service.” He added, “Thanks to the dedicated efforts of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, this defendant is held to account for violating that trust.”
The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General investigated this case. It was prosecuted by Quinn Harrington, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Alvarez's sentencing marks the end of a long investigation into the theft of mail by a U.S. Postal Service employee. The incident highlights the importance of maintaining the integrity of the U.S. Postal Service and the consequences of violating that trust.
Key Facts
- State: Oregon
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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