Man sentenced in massive Clarksville mail theft case, including half a million in losses and 540 victims
A Kentucky man was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court to 5 1/2 years in federal prison for mail fraud and possession of stolen mail.
Officials say it happened after a lengthy investigation into massive mail thefts in the Clarksville area which led to half a million dollars in loss and 540 victims.
Adam Perrelli, 41, of Trenton, Kentucky, pleaded guilty in June to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and theft of mail, mail fraud, and receipt and possession of stolen mail, accord to U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Perrelli along with Kaitlin Patterson, 31, and Natasha Pargellis, 36, also of Trenton, were indicted in November 2019, according to a news release.
Per court documents, the defendants obtained a master key that allowed them to open street collection boxes and cluster boxes. From March 2018 through Sept. 2018, they stole large amounts of mail in and around Clarksville and sorted through it looking for things like checks, money orders, credit cards and personal identifying information.
The documents were then altered and made payable to another participant in the conspiracy. Authorities say approximately $32,000 in altered checks and money orders were cashed or deposited.
The investigation identified 540 victims and uncovered an additional $540,000 in stolen checks and money orders which they intended to alter.
Patterson and Pargellis have also pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Clarksville Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Levine.