Acting United States Attorney Robert S. Cessar announced today, April 13, 2010, that Jason E. Svencer of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Johnstown on a charge of theft of mail by a postal employee.

The one-count indictment named Svencer, age 37, as the sole defendant.

According to the indictment presented to the court, on February 4, 2010, Svencer, a United States Postal Service mail processing clerk, took two pieces of first-class mail (greeting cards) addressed to two different individuals containing $5.00 in currency and four Pennsylvania lottery scratch-off tickets.

Assistant United States Attorney John J. Valkovci, Jr., who presented the case to the grand jury, indicated that the law provides for a maximum total sentence of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both.  Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

The United States Postal Service/Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.