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TYLER, Texas – A Henderson man has been sentenced to federal prison for violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Paul Wayne Kennedy, 39, pleaded guilty on April 19, 2021, to burglary of a United States Post Office, possession of stolen mail, possession of stolen money orders, damage to government property, theft of government property, and access device fraud.   Kennedy was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle.

“Americans should know that their postal items and post office boxes are protected by the dedicated men and women of the Department of Justice and the United States Postal Inspection Service,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.  “When you send a letter or package, or order an item, have confidence that your mail is secure, and that any would-be thieves, like Mr. Kennedy, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

“Securing Postal Service facilities and safeguarding the U.S. Mail are top priorities for the Postal Inspection Service,” said Thomas Noyes, Inspector in Charge of the Fort Worth Division. “Suspects thinking they can target the U.S. Postal Service and avoid capture are committing an egregious error in judgement.  We will commit all available resources to investigations of this nature, relentlessly pursue offenders and bring them to justice.  Both suspects in this investigation have now been sentenced, made possible by the many hours of work and cumulative efforts of U.S. Postal Inspectors, multiple local law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Texas.”

According to information presented in court, between the afternoon of Dec. 23, 2019 and the morning of Dec. 26, 2019, Kennedy burglarized post offices in Price, Texas; Bronson, Texas; Bon Wier, Texas; and Evans, Louisiana and attempted to burglarize post offices in Newton, Texas, and Singer, Louisiana. At each location he burglarized, Kennedy stole mail, packages, and property belonging to the U.S. Postal Service.  At the Price, Texas, and Bronson, Texas, post offices, Kennedy was able to gain access to the safes and steal money and U.S. money orders.  His accomplice, Angela Moore, 37, of Longview, accompanied Kennedy during the Price burglary and the Newton attempted burglary.  Later, on Dec. 27, 2019, Kennedy attempted to use a debit card that he stole during the Evans burglary at the Margaritaville Casino in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Kennedy and Moore were indicted by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas on June 18, 2020.  Kennedy was also indicted by a federal grand jury in the Western District of Louisiana on June 17, 2020.

Moore pleaded guilty to possession of stolen mail and was sentenced to 6 months in federal prison on May 13, 2021.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with the assistance of the Louisiana State Police, the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office, the Sabine County Sheriff’s Office, the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Henderson Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld for the Eastern District of Texas and Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Nickel for the Western District of Louisiana.