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AUGUSTA, Ga. () – Two men from the Augusta area received federal prison sentences for their involvement in mail theft, as reported by the U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday.
Michael Jermaine Thompson, a 24-year-old resident of North Augusta, South Carolina, was handed a 60-month prison term. Following his release, he will be under supervised oversight for three years and must pay a $2,000 fine. His sentence follows a guilty plea to charges of possessing a stolen mail key and illegal firearm possession as a convicted felon.
Robert Dean Plyler, aged 23 and hailing from Augusta, received a 38-month prison sentence, with an additional three years of supervised release. His sentencing comes after he admitted guilt to charges of possessing stolen mail, committing bank fraud, and engaging in aggravated identity theft.
Details from court documents and testimonies reveal that police in North Augusta were alerted in December 2024 to two individuals tampering with a postal “blue box” on Georgia Avenue, transferring mail into their car’s trunk. Officers identified a vehicle fitting the description, which led to a high-speed chase into Georgia. The pursuit ended with a crash, resulting in the arrests of both Thompson and Plyler.
The Department of Justice reported the recovery of 131 pieces of mail from 29 different victims. The investigation further uncovered that Plyler had opened a bank account in his name, depositing checks obtained through mail theft into this account. Consequently, Plyler has been ordered to pay $1,157 in restitution.
“The security of the U.S. Mail is vital to commerce and communications, and mail theft is a serious matter,” said U.S. Attorney Margaret E. Heap. “These sentences hold both men accountable and deliver a timely warning that we will diligently pursue those who would violate the mail system.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the FBI, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and the North Augusta Office of Public Safety.