AUSTIN, Texas — A man arrested by the Austin Police Department in late 2024 has been sentenced to nearly five years in federal prison for mail theft and related financial crimes, authorities confirmed.
Jonathan Casarez-Perez pleaded guilty in federal court on Jan. 1 to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and aggravated identity theft. He was sentenced to 54 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution to victims.
The charges stem from Casarez-Perez’s December 2024 arrest after members of APD’s North Austin Metro Tactical Unit located him at a hotel in North Austin. Officers had confirmed he was wanted on an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge.
Police followed Casarez-Perez as he left the hotel in his vehicle, using air support to track his movements. During surveillance, officers captured footage of him stealing mail from a residential mailbox.
Casarez-Perez was later detained, and a search of his vehicle uncovered a loaded handgun, a counterfeit Arrow Key commonly used to access apartment complex mailboxes, dozens of U.S. Postal Service parcel keys, and hundreds of pieces of stolen mail. Investigators also recovered fraudulent and stolen identification documents, including bank cards, IDs, passports, and large quantities of unlawfully possessed personal identifying information.
Following the arrest, APD coordinated with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which led to the federal investigation and subsequent guilty plea.
APD officials say large-scale mail theft and related fraud crimes are on the rise, often leading to identity theft, fraudulent credit activity, check fraud, and illegal use of stolen bank cards. Authorities urge residents to monitor their mail closely, report suspicious behavior, install cameras near mailrooms or mailboxes when possible, and regularly review credit reports to detect fraud early.
