Four men, including three who lived in Northwest Arkansas, were sentenced this week for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and possession of stolen mail.
The men stole checks from Northwest Arkansas mailboxes, altered information on the checks and then cashed them, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Conner Eldridge. The thefts totaled about $24,000, the news release stated.
Shawn Dewayne Cox, 31, of Prairie Grove, was sentenced to three years in prison, three years of supervised release.
Christopher Joseph Evans, 31, of Colcord, Okla., was sentenced to two years in prison and three years of supervised release.
Spencer Mason, 34, of Bentonville, was sentenced to three years and one month in prison and three years of supervised release.
Eric Picker-Ramirez, 35, of Fayetteville, was sentenced to one and a half years in prison and three years of supervised release.
The men were ordered to jointly pay $20,870.28 in restitution.
“Fraud and theft of mail are serious crimes that involve the personal finances of hard-working individuals and can have long lasting impacts on numerous victims," Eldridge said in the news release. "We remain committed to investigating and prosecuting those who perpetrate fraud and swindle others out of their hard earned money.”
Benjamin David Ramsfield, 34, of Greenland, was charged separately and was earlier sentenced to three years and five months in the prison with three years of supervised release.