Collinsville Man Indicted for Stealing Mail in Okawville
A federal grand jury for the Southern District of Illinois has returned an indictment charging Seth W. Sorensen, 45, with one count of mail theft and four counts of possessing stolen mail.
Sorenson was originally arrested on February 24, 2019, by the Okawville Police Department while staying with an acquaintance in Okawville.
Okawville Police Chief Steve Millikin said that a pickup truck had been observed going through mailboxes in the Obercreek Subdivision. Police were able to identify the truck, which is what led to the arrest.
According to Millikin, Sorenson was arrested while in possession of several items of mail, as well as merchandise fraudulently ordered using the name and address of a resident of Okawville.
The indictment also charges Sorensen with possessing stolen mail addressed to another Okawville resident, as well as three residents of Collinsville. All of the crimes charged allegedly occurred in February 2019.
Sorensen is currently serving a three year sentence for an unrelated crime. His initial appearance and trial dates have not been set. Each charge carries up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The investigation was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Collinsville Police Department, and the Okawville Police Department.
