PITTSBURGH, Pa. — A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal mail theft laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.

The one-count Indictment named James Ancell, age 29, of the City’s Brighton Heights neighborhood, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, on November 25, 2021, Ancell a United States Postal Service employee, “did embezzle a letter, postal card, package, mail, or any article or thing contained therein, which had come into the defendant’s possession intended to be conveyed by mail.”

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 5 years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, a term of supervised release of not more than three years, or a combination thereof. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Brian W. Castello is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.