Florida man who stole $116K from customers in multi-state mail theft ring gets 21 months in prison

A Florida man convicted in a multi-state mail theft ring was sentenced to 21 months in prison, federal prosecutors said Monday.

Cassio Orville Donald Slowden, 28, of Pembroke Pines, Fla., pleaded guilty in federal court in Downtown Pittsburgh, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady said.

Slowden bilked Citizens Bank, Bank of America and a dozen customers of at least $116,000 in the scheme, which involved placing calls to banks impersonating customers and ordering replacement debit cards and PIN reminders, prosecutors said.

In Pennsylvania, affected customers included residents of the McMurray section of Peters Township in Washington County.

Slowden and his co-conspirators would stake out the residences of the customers on the day they knew the mail was set to be delivered, then intercept the cards and use them to get cash from ATMs, prosecutors said. The alleged accomplices were not identified in the news release announcing Slowden’s sentence.

Investigators caught Slowden in the act on Feb. 11, when they watched him remove several pieces of mail from a McMurray home then drive away, prosecutors said. Soon after, officials pulled Slowden over, searched his vehicle and seized the stolen mail.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lew prosecuted the case with help from the Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

U.S. District Judge Arthur Schwab imposed the 21-month prison sentence followed by three years of probation.