Imperial County man gets 18 months for mail theft
A 33-year-old Imperial County resident was sentenced Monday in federal court to 18 months in prison for mail theft and possession of stolen mail.
Theodore Bennett pleaded guilty in December 2020, admitting that on four different occasions in the summer of 2020, he pried open at least 94 post office boxes with a flathead screwdriver and pry bar at post offices in San Diego and Imperial counties.
According to his plea agreement, Bennett stole dozens of pieces of mail containing credit cards plus $6,500 in checks that belonged to individuals, businesses and non-profit organizations. They included stimulus checks issued by the U.S. Department of Treasury.