Louisville City Wire

A federal grand jury in Paducah, Kentucky, has indicted a Murray resident on theft charges relating to mail matter. The indictment was announced on March 11, 2025, by U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the Pittsburgh Division, and Chief Samuel Bierds of the Murray Police Department.

The individual in question, Austin L. Jones, aged 34, has been charged with theft of mail matter as per the indictment. The alleged offense occurred on or about December 18, 2024, when Jones purportedly stole mail from residential mailboxes in Calloway County, Kentucky.

On April 21, 2025, Jones made an initial court appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. If convicted, Jones could face a sentence of up to five years in prison. Actual sentencing will be at the discretion of a federal district court judge, who will consider the sentencing guidelines and other factors as stipulated by law.

It is important to note that the federal judicial system does not provide for parole.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Bowling Green Office, and the Murray Police Department are jointly investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raymond McGee from the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office is in charge of the prosecution.

As a matter of judicial process, the indictment is only an allegation, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt.