SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Joseph Stefanski, age 37, of Wilkes-Barre Township, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today before Senior United States District Court Judge James M. Munley to theft of mail.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Stefanski admitted to stealing mail between December 2014 and February 2015. The thefts were discovered after postal customers in the areas of Dallas, Shavertown, Plains, Trucksville and Luzerne Township, Luzerne County, complained about mail that was not received and mail that was received with contents missing. Some of the missing contents included cash, gift cards, and lottery tickets.
Further investigation revealed that Stefanski, who was employed by a trucking company hired to transport mail from one post office to another, had removed mail and its contents from mail containers in his truck.
Judge Munley ordered a presentence report to be completed. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
The investigation was conducted by the United States Postal Service, Office of Postal Inspection Services. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law is 5 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
