On September 18, 2009, prolific mail thief Robert Stringfellow, was sentenced for a prison term of 25 years to life.  On July 16, 2009, Stringfellow was found guilty of 5 counts of burglary, 2 counts of check fraud, and 2 counts of identity theft.

The trial attorney, Deputy District Attorney Quirina Orozco stated, "Case's like this one should send a message to citizens that we must take better precautions to protect our personal information.  Excercising increased care in how we receive, maintain, and discard our mail is an integral part of the effort to minimize the success of con artists and identity thieves."

In 2006, several Sacramento area residents had their mail stolen from their homes; mail that included either incoming credit card convenience checks or outgoing personal checks.  These checks were altered, forged, and then deposited into Stringfellow's personal bank accounts.  Stringfellow would then withdraw the money.  In all, Stringfellow stole nearly $7,000 from his victims.

The Sacramento Police Department in cooperation with the United States Postal Inspection Service investigated the thefts.  Based on the information gathered by investigators, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Stringfellow.  He was subsequently arrested in July of 2007.