Latest Legal News from the Criminal Courts of Los Angeles, California and the U.S.

June 04, 2009

SACRAMENTO MAN SENTENCED TO 21 MONTHS FOR FENCING GOLD COINS STOLEN FROM THE U.S. MAIL AND POSSESSING A LOADED FIREARM

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Acting U.S. Attorney Lawrence G. Brown announced today that DAVID ALLEN GIBSON, 42, of Sacramento, was sentenced this morning by United States District Judge John A. Mendez to 21 months in prison to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release for possessing items stolen from the U.S. Mail and for possession of a loaded firearm. He was also ordered to pay restitution.

This case was the product of extensive investigation by the U. S. Postal Inspection Service.

According to Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rodriguez, who prosecuted the case, on September 26, 2008 a registered mail bag was stolen from a locked U.S. Postal Service truck in Sacramento County. The bag contained cash from the daily receipts of the Carmichael Post Office, a $400 money order, basketball cards, cremated human remains, and eight unique gold coins valued at $1, 393.

On October 31, 2008, GIBSON pawned two coins: a 1373-75 Iran Azadi gold coin, and a 1926 Netherlands 10 gulden gold coin. Then on November 8, 2009, he sold an 1876 German 20 mark gold coin to a coin shop. Both times he used his own driver’s license for identification.
On November 18, 2008, federal agents executed a search warrant on GIBSON’s residence where they found the basketball trading cards and the remaining five gold coins: a 1979 South Africa gold coin, a 1923 Turkey gold coin, an 1875 Belgium 20 francs gold coin, a 1348 Iran 1/2 pahalavi gold coin, and an 1882 R Italy 20 lira gold coin. GIBSON, a previously convicted felon, was in possession of a loaded 380 caliber semi-automatic pistol.

After his arrest, the cremated human remains anonymously were returned via deposit in a Sacramento blue mail box. The theft from the U.S. Postal Service Truck is unsolved and anyone having information concerning the crime are encouraged to contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. GIBSON pleaded guilty on March 3, 2009.

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CALIFORNIA CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYER

JOSEPH SHEMARIA

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Latest Legal News from the Criminal Courts of Los Angeles, California and the U.S.