Terrence Thompson, Jr., age 24, of New Orleans, was sentenced on March 18 after pleading guilty to unlawfully possessing and using a United States Postal Service “arrow” key and stealing approximately 232 pieces of mail from authorized receptacles. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
The case concerns incidents that took place on September 12 and September 20, 2021, when Thompson stole mail from the Gretna Post Office in Gretna, Louisiana. He was later found with a USPS “arrow” key on October 5, 2021. These keys are used by postal employees to access secure mailboxes.
U.S. District Court Judge Greg G. Guidry sentenced Thompson to fifteen months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release and a mandatory $300 special assessment fee.
Courcelle said he praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Office of the Inspector General, the Gretna Police Department, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office for their roles in investigating the matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is handling the prosecution.
The sentencing highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies to address crimes involving theft from the postal system.
