WICHITA, KAN. - A grand jury Thursday returned a federal indictment charging a mail carrier in Sheridan County with stealing mail, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
James N. Stephenson, 25, Hoxie, Kan., is charged with one count of theft by a postal employee, one count of unlawful possession of 15 or more stolen gift cards and debit cards, and one count of aggravated identity theft. The crimes are alleged to have occurred from August 2016 to January 2017 in Sheridan County, Kan.
The indictment alleges Stephenson stole the cards from the mail while he worked for the Post Office in Hoxie. If convicted, he faces up to five years in federal prison, and a $250,000 fine on the theft charge, 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on possession of the stolen cards, and a mandatory two years (consecutive) on the identity theft charge. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Office of Inspector General investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Davonte Chaney, 24, Lawrence, Kan., is charged with five counts of hiding and delaying mail while he was employed by the U.S. Postal Service and assigned to Rural Route 21 in Lawrence, Kan. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in May and June 2016 in Douglas County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The U.S. Postal Service - Office of Inspector General investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon Patton is prosecuting.
Fabian Nahum-Aguirre, 36, a citizen of Mexico, Victor Butzoc-Ramirez, 20, a citizen of Guatemala, are charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine (count one), one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin (count two), one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking (count three), and one count each of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien (counts four and five). The crimes are alleged to have occurred Feb. 7, 2017, in Sedgwick County.
If convicted, they face up 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million on counts one and two, not less than five years and a fine up to $250,000 on count three, and up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on counts four and five. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
Zoyla Vital-Chairez, 58, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with one count of making a false statement on a U.S. passport application (count one), one count of falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen (count two), one count of misusing a Social Security number (count three), one count of possession of false documents (count five) and two counts of aggravated identity theft (counts four and six). The crimes are alleged to have occurred in 2015 and 2016 in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on count one, up to three years and a fine up to $250,000 on count two, up to five years and a fine up to $250,000 on count three, up to 15 years and a fine up to $250,000 on count five, and a mandatory two years (consecutive) on counts four and six. The U.S. Department of State investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
