FRESNO - Ryan James Taylor, 34, of Oxnard, pleaded guilty today to burglary of a post office, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to court documents, on Aug. 26, 2018, Taylor forcibly broke into the Mojave Post Office in Kern County and stole United States Mail from the outgoing mail drop bin.

After breaking into the post office, Taylor also stole a United States mail truck. The stolen mail included a Starbucks gift card that Taylor later used to purchase a coffee drink and a check that he endorsed over to himself, all without authorization.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vincente Tennerelli and Joseph Barton are prosecuting the case.

Taylor is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on Dec. 14. Taylor faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will 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.