HARRISBURG — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle), published as received.

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Josue Peguero, age 22, Bronx, New York was sentenced on January 12, 2022, to 24 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay $19,138.01 in restitution by U.S. District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo after pleading guilty to a charge of aggravated identity theft.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, on January 4, 2020, Steelton Borough Police observed Peguero and two other individuals tampering with a U.S. Mail blue collection box near an intersection in the Borough of Steelton, Pennsylvania.  One individual used an item to “fish” into the mailbox’s opening, while Peguero stood nearby as a lookout, and a third individual drove a getaway vehicle. The police made a traffic stop and found the Peguero and the other two in possession of numerous debit cards in others’ names.  They also possessed an ATM withdrawal receipt for one debit card and a $2,500 deposit receipt for a different debit card.  The receipts matched debit cards in the defendants’ possession.  These cards did not match any of the defendant’s names.

The United States Postal Inspection Service conducted a follow up investigation. It established that Peguero and the other two individuals had conducted multiple fraudulent debit card transactions in New York City just prior to traveling to the Harrisburg area to fish into mailboxes and obtain stolen checks.  These transactions involved the use of stolen, altered checks and debit cards belonging to other people.  The investigation further determined that the three had been involved in the stealing of checks and the depositing of these checks in a fraudulent manner for several months leading up to the time of their arrest.  The other two individuals also pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft; one has been sentenced and the other is pending sentencing. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma prosecuted the case.

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