Jacksonville, FL – Connor Lee Austin, a 31-year-old man, has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for theft of mail, according to U.S. District Judge Maria M. Howard. The sentence will be served consecutively to Austin’s current 36-month sentence in Florida State Prison. Additionally, his co-defendant, 26-year-old Maranda Ann Stewart, has been sentenced to six months in federal prison for the same crime. The court has also ordered both individuals to pay restitution to the victims involved.

The case unfolded in late April 2022 when the Clay County Sheriff’s Office started receiving reports of mail theft in the Keystone Heights area. Surveillance footage revealed a truck containing two individuals driving around and stealing mail from mailboxes. Through further investigation, Stewart was identified as the driver, while Austin served as the passenger.

On May 6, 2022, the Baker County Sheriff’s Office arrested Austin and Stewart for their involvement in a fraudulent check scheme. During the arrest, law enforcement conducted an inventory search of the truck used by the pair and discovered over 100 pieces of stolen mail from various addresses in Clay County.

Further investigation by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Jacksonville Office revealed that Austin and Stewart would use Austin’s phone to deposit stolen checks into their bank accounts through mobile deposit. They also forged signatures on stolen checks and cashed them to obtain funds. Mail stolen by the duo was recovered from multiple counties, including Baker, Bradford, Clay, Duval, and Putnam.

Notably, Austin appeared in federal court on April 19 after being brought from Florida State Prison, where he is already serving a 36-month sentence for grand theft, grand theft from a dwelling, and burglary. The court ordered his detention. Stewart, on the other hand, was initially released but later detained on August 15.

The investigation into this case was conducted by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Jacksonville Office, and with assistance from the Baker County Sheriff’s Office. Kevin C. Frein, the Assistant U.S. Attorney, prosecuted the case.

In summary, Connor Lee Austin and Maranda Ann Stewart have been sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in a mail theft scheme. They were found guilty of stealing mail from various counties in Florida and using fraudulent checks to obtain funds. The court has ordered them to pay restitution to the victims. The investigation was conducted by law enforcement agencies, including the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.