Two Princeton residents sentenced in extensive mail theft

IL file photo

Two Princeton residents found with stolen checks in their apartment valued at more than $1.8 million have been sentenced to federal prison for mail theft.

Michael Wright, 45, was sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to mail theft, unlawful possession of a mail key, access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, possession of ammunition by a felon, and possession of a machine gun.

Cortney Young, 36, received a two-year sentence after pleading guilty to mail theft and possession of a firearm by a felon. Both will serve three years of supervised release following the prison sentences handed down by U.S. District Judge Matthew Brookman.

According to court documents, law enforcement officials in Evansville began receiving numerous complaints about mail theft and check forgery in 2023.

In March and April of 2024, Evansville Police Department officers monitored local United States Postal Service collection boxes.

On six different occasions, investigators said they saw Wright open collection boxes with an arrow key around 4:30 a.m., sort through the mail, then drive off with stolen mail. On at least two of those occasions, investigators saw Young behind the wheel of the getaway car.

The USPS uses a unique type of lock known as an “arrow lock” to secure collection boxes, lockers, and apartment mailbox panels. These locks can only be opened with an arrow key. It is a crime for anyone not authorized by the Postal Service to knowingly have or use arrow keys.

On April 3, 2023, law enforcement officers stopped the pair just as they drove away from another mail box. Officers searched the vehicle and uncovered an arrow key and stolen mail on the passenger floorboard.

Investigators conducted a court-authorized search of Wright’s and Young’s apartment in Princeton and located hundreds of checks and their corresponding envelopes, many of which had been previously reported as stolen.

The stolen checks had a total face value of $1,857,460.91.

Investigators also found two handguns under the mattress in Wright’s and Young’s bedroom.

On Wright’s side of the bed was a partially 3D printed, privately made firearm with no serial number. This type of weapon is commonly referred to as a “ghost gun” because it has no records related to its manufacture or sale.  Investigators also recovered two, 30-round extended magazines.

The ghost gun had a machine gun conversion device, also called a “Glock switch,” installed, allowing it to fire as a fully automatic weapon. Glock switches are themselves considered machine guns under federal law, whether they are installed in a firearm or not. On Young’s side of the bed was a Ruger pistol.

Wright has previous felony convictions including murder, dealing in a synthetic drug, operating a vehicle as a habitual traffic violator, and operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

Young has a felony conviction for fraud. These prior felony convictions prohibit Wright and Young from ever legally possessing a firearm or ammunition.

Also in the bedroom of the apartment, law enforcement found two backpacks.

In Wright’s backpack, investigators found 30 debit and credit cards bearing the names of other individuals, as well as a piece of notebook paper that had the names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers for three other individuals written on it.

“Americans rely on the U.S. Postal Service to securely deliver everything from birthday cards to critical financial documents,” John Childress, acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, said in a writtenstatement. “This couple exploited that trust through a widespread mail theft and identity fraud scheme that caused two million dollars in losses, while arming themselves with very dangerous illegal weapons.”

The U.S. Secret Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Evansville Police Department investigated this case.