On March 17, 2017, Cody J. Alexander, 26, of Coffeen, Illinois, was sentenced to federal prison for Theft of United States Mail, Donald S. Boyce, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today.

Alexander who pled guilty on December 23, 2016, to one count of Theft of United States Mail, was sentenced to 10 months of imprisonment, followed by 3 months of home detention and 3 years of supervised release. He as was also ordered to pay restitution to those whose mail parcels and packages were stolen. Alexander took the packages while employed with a contracting company hired by the postal service to deliver holiday packages in December of 2015. Alexander admitted taking packages, opening them, and then pawning or attempting to sell at least some of the items at a pawnshop.

At sentencing, the court considered Alexander’s personal history, the circumstances of the offense, and the fact that after his arrest, Alexander was released on bond and failed to appear for a court hearing set for December 15, 2016. On that date, the court issued an arrest warrant for his failure to appear. Ironically, the man charged with stealing holiday packages was arrested while dressed as Santa Clause on December 19, 2016, in Waterloo, Illinois. He has remained in jail since his arrest.

The United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department and the United States Marshal Service assisted in the failure to appear arrest. Assistant United States Attorney Ranley R. Killian prosecuted the case.