ALBUQUERQUE - Crystal Devon Romero, 33, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 15 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for her conviction on theft of mail charges.
Romero and codefendant Michelle Josephine Candelaria, 25, also of Albuquerque, were arrested on Jan. 19, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging them with conspiracy and theft of mail. The complaint alleged that the two women conspired with each other to steal mail in Jan. 2015, in Bernalillo County, N.M. Romero and Candelaria pried open cluster mailboxes and stole mail from them. A search of the truck Romero and Candelaria used to carry out their mail theft scheme uncovered stolen mail, including checks that had been altered and debit/credit cards.
On Feb. 29, 2016, Romero and Candelaria pled guilty to felony informations charging them with stealing mail from Jan. 12, 2016 through Jan. 15, 2016. The guilty pleas were entered without the benefit of plea agreements.
At sentencing, Candelaria faces a maximum of five years in federal prison. Her sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Jon Ganjei.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
