HOUSTON, TX – Federal authorities revealed Wednesday that a federal grand jury in Houston had charged five men in a mail theft scheme.
The suspects are facing charges of bank fraud conspiracy, bank fraud, possession of stolen mail, and aggravated identity theft.
They were all Honduran citizens, according to federal officials, and all but Camey were unlawfully living in Houston. Camey is a legal permanent resident of Houston, but his status could be jeopardized if he is convicted, according to a news release about the case.
Melara and Rivas are being kept in detention right now. The remaining three were allowed to be released pending the outcome of their court cases. Both are scheduled to appear at a later date in front of a U.S. magistrate judge for their arraignments on the charges.
The defendants face up to 30 years in prison if convicted of conspiracy and bank robbery, and five years in prison if convicted of mail theft. If they are convicted, they will be sentenced to an additional two years in jail for felony identity fraud, which must be served concurrently with the other sentence.
