Politics & Government
Mail Thief Sentenced to a Year in Prison
Harlan Lanning stole people's mail to steal identities, pass counterfeit checks, US Attorney says.
A Greenville man has pleaded guilty and sentenced to a year in prison for mail theft, US Attorney Bill Nettles said Thursday.
Harlan Benji Lanning, 33, also was ordered by Senior United States District Judge G. Ross Anderson, Jr. to pay restitution to his victims.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that on July 5, 2011, employees at the White Horse Road Lil Cricket called the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) and reported that a black Camry had been parked at the pumps for 45 minutes.
A deputy investigated and noticed extensive damage to the front driver’s side of the vehicle. The deputy knocked on the window of the car and encountered Lanning, who appeared to be disoriented.
The deputy asked Lanning to step out of the car. The deputy then noticed mail strewn all over the car. The mail turned out to be stolen, Nettles said.
Further investigation revealed that Lanning had been stealing mail and creating counterfeit checks using the personal information from the stolen mail, Nettles said.
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