Sanger Man Charged With Stealing Batteries From U.S. Mail Trucks

FRESNO, Calif. — Rene Garcia, 47, of Sanger, will be arraigned in federal court today, charged with stealing government property, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

According to the indictment, on 12 separate occasions between September 2012 and March 2013, Garcia stole vehicle batteries from U.S. Postal Service mail trucks parked at the U.S. Post Office in Selma. In total, Garcia stole approximately 51 batteries.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Baker is prosecuting the case.

If convicted of the charges, Garcia faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.