Houston woman sentenced for misappropriated mail scheme

HOUSTON - A 34-year-old local resident has been ordered to federal prison for a stolen mail fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Britni Marie Johnson pleaded guilty July 29.

U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal has now ordered Johnson to serve 65 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court described Johnson as intelligent and capable but cited her involvement in fraud and drug offenses. In imposing the sentence, the court considered the impact of the crimes, noting that mail and identity theft often leave those affected feeling violated. The court also stated her conduct made the lives of innocent victims more difficult. Johnson is also required to pay approximately $1,448.65 in restitution.

At the time of her plea, Johnson admitted she stole checks from the mail to commit fraud and used counterfeit identification documents to cash those stolen checks.

Johnson will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation with assistance from the Galveston County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Hileman prosecuted the case.