A Sacramento man has been sentenced to four years in prison for aggravated identity theft.
Melvin Lee Gregory, 30, was sentenced in federal court in Sacramento by U.S. District Judge John A Mendez, according to a federal Department of Justice news release. His prison term is to be followed by one year of supervised release.
According to court documents, between March and July 2010, Gregory stole U.S. mail, looking for financial and identification information. He opened lines of credit using his victims' personal information, and obtained cash and goods from merchants and financial institutions in the Sacramento area.
Gregory was arrested July 31, 2010, after leading law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase in a stolen car. At the time of his arrest, officers discovered that Gregory possessed more than 150 items of stolen U.S. mail. Officials said Gregory and his wife stole mail and financial information from more than 350 people.
Gregory's wife, Laura Lee Elizabeth Gregory, 28, of Oroville, was sentenced Nov. 8, 2011, to one year in prison for bank fraud and possession of stolen U.S. mail. Gregory and his wife were ordered to pay restitution to the victims.
The case resulted from an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service, with the cooperation of the Sacramento Police Department and the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office.
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