ABINGDON, Va. – A pair of Wytheville, Virginia residents were sentenced yesterday to federal prison time for possessing stolen mail, including letters from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Social Security Administration, and the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.
Joseph Arthur Manning, 35, was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment followed by three years’ supervised release. Manning’s girlfriend, Caitlyn Page Turner, 23, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment followed by three years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, on December 28, 2021, a victim contacted the Wythe County Sheriff’s Office and stated that they witnessed mail being stolen from their mailbox by a pair of individuals who drove off in a Kia Optima. Shortly after the call, Wythe County Sheriff’s deputies conducted a traffic stop on a Kia Optima and Manning and Turner were the occupants of the vehicle.
During the traffic stop, deputies located and recovered 63 pieces of mail from 32 different addresses in the Barren Springs area. The officers also recovered marijuana and a small quantity of methamphetamine.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh made the announcement.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service – Washington Division and the Wythe County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Lena L. Busscher prosecuted the case for the United States.