Napeaches Shouetta Blair, 43, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for two counts of theft of mail by a postal employee, according to an Aug. 4 announcement from United States Attorney John P. Heekin for the Northern District of Florida.
Blair appeared in federal court for her arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick in Tallahassee. The jury trial is scheduled for September 8 before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor in Tallahassee. If convicted, Blair faces a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment on each count.
The case was jointly investigated by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorney Emma Schwan is prosecuting the case.
Officials said that an indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida covers 23 counties including Tallahassee and operates from courthouses in Tallahassee, Pensacola and Gainesville as part of the Department of Justice; it enforces federal laws, defends national security, protects civil rights and secures public funds while collaborating with other agencies through initiatives such as Project Safe Childhood and the Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee, according to the official website.