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From the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas
(News Release) – Two individuals have pleaded guilty to their involvement in postal offenses in Texas and Louisiana, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Paul Kennedy, 39, of Henderson, Texas, pleaded guilty to burglary of a United States post office; possession of stolen mail; possession of stolen money orders; damage to government property; theft of government property; and access device fraud before U.S. Magistrate Judge K. Nicole Mitchell. In Longview, Texas, Angela Moore, 37, previously pleaded guilty to possession of stolen mail on Mar. 4, 2021.
According to information presented in court, between the afternoon of Dec. 23, 2019, and Dec. 26, 2019, Kennedy burglarized post offices in Price, Texas; Bronson, Texas; Bon Wier, Texas; and Evans, Louisiana. He attempted to rob post offices in Newton, Texas, and Singer, Louisiana. At each location he burglarized, Kennedy stole mail, packages, and property belonging to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). Price, and Bronson, Texas, post offices, Kennedy was able to gain access to the safes and steal money and USPS money orders. Moore accompanied Kennedy during the Price burglary, and the Newton attempted burglary. Later, on Dec. 27, 2019, Kennedy tried to use a debit card that he stole during the Evans burglary at the Margaritaville Casino in Shreveport, Louisiana.
“While the rest of us celebrated the Christmas season with our families and friends, these defendants pillaged, plundered, rifled, and looted post offices across East Texas and into Louisiana,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “Thanks to the outstanding work of our law enforcement partners, post offices have been secured, and the defendants have been brought to justice.”
A federal grand jury indicted Kennedy and Moore in the Eastern District of Texas on Jun. 18, 2020. A federal grand jury also indicted Kennedy in the Western District of Louisiana on Jun. 17, 2020. Under federal statutes, Kennedy faces up to ten years in federal prison, and Moore faces up to five years. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the court will determine the sentencing based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. They will schedule sentencing hearings after the completion of presentence investigations by the U.S. Probation Office.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), with the assistance of the Louisiana State Police, the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office, the Sabine County Sheriff’s Office, the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Henderson Police Department, investigated this case. The Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld for the Eastern District of Texas and Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Nickel for the Western District of Louisiana prosecuted the case.