Huntington Man Sentenced for Stealing Mail

HUNTINGTON, WV—Matthew D. Pennington, 29, of Huntington, West Virginia, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers to 27 months’ imprisonment for aiding and abetting the theft of mail. Pennington pled guilty on April 27, 2009, admitting he helped take four bags of mail from a United States Postal Service contract truck in Wayne County, near Prichard, West Virginia. The conviction stems from an investigation conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service. According to court documents, on October 25, 2008, Pennington and Edward Jackson took four bags of mail from the contract truck and then staged the truck to appear as if it had broken down. Postal investigators quickly learned that the only missing mail bags contained over $13,000. Once confronted, the duo confessed. Jackson was sentenced to five years probation for his involvement in the crime. Pennington, who failed to appear for his original sentencing date in August 2009, was also ordered to serve three years on supervised release upon completion of his term of imprisonment. Both were ordered to pay restitution to the Postal Service. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes handled the prosecution.