A Port Arthur resident has been sentenced to federal prison for his involvement in a mail theft scheme in the Eastern District of Texas. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.
Charles Vernon Roberts, aged 27, admitted guilt to charges of possessing 15 or more unauthorized devices and aggravated identity theft. He received a sentence of 30 months in federal prison from U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on November 19, 2024.
Court documents revealed that local law enforcement had received reports about stolen mail from the Tobe Hahn and South End post offices in Beaumont. Surveillance footage captured an individual taking items from these post office boxes. License plate recognition technology led authorities to an apartment in Port Arthur where Roberts was identified as the suspect. A search of his residence uncovered a counterfeit postal arrow key, 35 checks and money orders, multiple debit and credit cards, and various pieces of opened and unopened mail not addressed to him.
The investigation involved collaboration between the Port Arthur Police Department, Beaumont Police Department, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Grove prosecuted the case.