A man and woman from Starke have pleaded guilty in connection with a mail theft scheme that spanned multiple months.
Roger B. Handberg, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, announced on Thursday that 28-year-old Connor Lee Austin has pleaded guilty to the theft of mail. Two weeks earlier, on June 27, Maranda Ann Stewart, 26, also entered a guilty plea for one count of mail theft.
According to court documents and public records, in late April of 2022, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office received multiple reports of mail being stolen from mailboxes in the area of Keystone Heights. Surveillance footage from nearby homes captured a truck that was driving down roads with the passenger, later identified as Austin, and his co-defendant, later identified as Stewart, stealing mail from mailboxes in the area.
On May 6, 2022, the Baker County Sheriff’s Office arrested Austin and Stewart for their involvement with a fraudulent check. During the arrest, BCSO deputies conducted an inventory search of their truck, and over 100 pieces of mail were discovered that had been stolen from various addresses in Clay County.
Court records indicate that upon further investigation, it was determined that Austin and Stewart used Austin’s phone to deposit stolen checks into their bank accounts via mobile deposit. In addition, law enforcement recovered mail that had been stolen by Austin and Stewart from Baker, Bradford, Clay, Duval, and Putnam counties.
On April 19, 2023, Austin appeared in federal court pursuant to a writ bringing him to Jacksonville from Florida State Prison where he is serving a three-year prison sentence for grand theft, grand theft from a dwelling, and burglary. He was detained following the court appearance.
Austin and Stewart are both facing up to five years in federal prison and payment of restitution to the victims in the case. No sentencing date has been set.
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.