Sonny Vang Xiong, Mail Theft Conspiracy, Minnesota 2020

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A brazen scheme to steal mail and packages from post offices, apartment complexes, and mailboxes in the Twin Cities has been brought to justice.

Two St. Paul area men involved in the conspiracy have been sentenced to prison for their roles in the scheme. Sonny Vang Xiong, 32, of Maplewood, and Davis Her, 36, of St. Paul, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit theft of mail. Her also pleaded guilty to one count of felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, from at least August 2020 through November 2020, Xiong and Her conspired with others to steal mail and packages from post offices, apartment complexes, and mailboxes. The defendants broke into apartment buildings and other locations where many mailboxes could be accessed at once to steal personal mail, business mail, packages, and other items. The defendants used stolen postal keys, pry bars, and other burglary tools to steal the mail.

The defendants would look for checks, money orders, identification documents, credit and debit cards, and other items of value. Xiong and Her used the stolen checks and money orders to create fraudulent checks and falsified money orders that they gave to others to cash. Xiong and Her also used stolen account numbers, IDs, and personal identifying information to create fake checks and fake identification documents.

Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk for the District of Minnesota made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Eric C. Tostrud sentenced the defendants.

This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the St. Paul Police Department, the Roseville Police Department, the Coon Rapids Police Department, the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, and the St. Croix County (Wisconsin) Sheriff’s Office. United States Secret Service, and the United States Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Hudleston prosecuted the case.

Xiong was sentenced to 36 months in prison, while Her received a sentence of 78 months in prison. The investigation and prosecution of this case demonstrate the commitment of federal and local law enforcement to protecting the public from mail theft and other forms of financial crime.

Related Federal Cases