A South Carolina man and his girlfriend were sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to a scheme that sought to rob more than a million dollars from individuals by using their stolen mail.
Calling themselves the “modern day Bonnie and Clyde,” Michael H. Boatwright, 33, and 29-year-old Stephanie Michelle Lea Napier drove around Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida between November 2020 to June 2021 for the purpose of stealing mail to assume the identities of others. In this way, Boatwright and Napier hoped to gain access and control of their victims’ bank accounts, a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Georgia stated.
‘Modern-day Bonnie and Clyde’ sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison for using stolen mail to raid bank accounts @USPIS_ATL @SecretService https://t.co/Lz9u72inOk
— U.S. Attorney SDGA (@SDGAnews) April 19, 2023
Using the information obtained from stolen pieces of mail, Boatwright and Napier stole and attempted to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from victims across multiple states, with actual and attempted losses amounting to more than $1.5 million, the press release continued. (RELATED: Yet Another IRS Worker Pleads Guilty To Identity Theft)
“These thieves didn’t just steal their victims’ mail; they stole their money, their privacy, and their sense of security,” U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg stated in the release. “They are now being held accountable for their insidious acts.”
Boatwright was sentenced to 150 months (12.5 years) after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit mail, wire and bank fraud. In addition to his prison sentence, Boatwright has been ordered to pay $427,131.37 in restitution to his victims, the press release stated.
Napier was sentenced to 28 months in federal prison after being convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. When her prison term is through, Napier will be on supervised release for an additional three years.
“The sentencing should serve as a warning to those who intend to steal and misuse the U.S. Mail for criminal activity,”Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, stated in the press release. “This is a great example of how law enforcement partnerships work together across state lines to vigorously investigate and deliver justice to mail thieves.”