CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte man was sentenced Thursday to four years in federal prison for stealing U.S. mail and illegally possessing a firearm, federal prosecutors announced.
Montavius Hancock, 29, was sentenced after pleading guilty to multiple federal charges stemming from two separate incidents in late 2023 and early 2024.
According to court records, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) officers arrested Hancock on January 13, 2024, after he was spotted using a U.S. Postal Service master key to steal mail from a business park in Charlotte. A search of his vehicle revealed stolen mail from multiple locations across the city. The recovered mail included checks valued at more than $400,000.
Authorities say the master key, typically reserved for USPS workers, gave Hancock illegal access to mailboxes in the area, allowing him to target high-value business correspondence.
In a separate case, Hancock was arrested on December 22, 2023, after CMPD officers found him in possession of a Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol with an obliterated serial number. Due to prior felony convictions—including assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill—Hancock was legally prohibited from possessing any firearms.
He pleaded guilty to the charges on August 21, 2024.
In addition to the four-year prison term, Hancock was sentenced to three years of supervised release following his incarceration.
Federal prosecutors emphasized the serious nature of the offenses, highlighting both the risk to public safety and the broader implications of mail theft on businesses and consumers.
