The 27-year-man who pleaded guilty in December to several instances of mail theft that impacted hundreds of residents was sentenced to more than three years in prison on Friday, the U.S. Attorney for Western Washington announced.
Johny Mixayboua was sentenced to 41 months in U.S. District Court in Seattle for theft of government property, mail theft, illegal transactions on access devices, and illegally possessing a firearm.
Prosecutors say Mixayboua is responsible for the mail theft that resulted in the U.S. Postal Service halting mail delivery for the 98118 ZIP code for a week last May to investigate the thefts. The 98118 ZIP code includes about 50,000 people.
"Mr. Mixayboua's thefts caused widespread hardship — especially for the elderly and disabled who were suddenly forced to line up at the post office to get their mail," U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman said in the release. "The theft of checks and credit cards caused harm to those hit with fraudulent charges."
The string of postal thefts began in December 2022 when Mixayboua stole a U.S. Postal Service vehicle from the 6300 block of South Bangor Street in Seattle, the release said. He used the key inside the vehicle to access mailboxes in the 98178 ZIP code.
From January to April 2023, about five mail vehicles, several credit cards and other mail were stolen by Mixayboua, prosecutors said. Surveillance footage from one instance at a mobile home park in the 98178 ZIP code showed two people opening a mailbox and placing the contents into a trash bag, The Times previously reported.
Mixayboua was arrested in May 2023, and had an unregistered firearm at the time of arrest, prosecutors say.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service led the investigation into the thefts. Investigators used doorbell camera footage alongside credit card records from the stolen cards to identify Mixayboua, the release said.
Inspector in Charge Anthony Galetti said mail theft is an issue that "plagues" communities.
