DALLAS, Texas — Edward Hampton, III, was sentenced this week, by U.S. District Judge Jorge A. Solis, to 24 months in federal prison, following his guilty plea in January 2012 to an indictment charging one count of theft of mail by a postal employee.  In addition, Judge Solis ordered that Hampton pay $166,116 in restitution.  Hampton, 51, of Arlington, Texas, must surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on January 16, 2013, to begin serving his sentence.  Today’s announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.

According to documents filed in the case, Mr. Hampton admitted that in February 2010, while he was employed by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), he embezzled the contents of an Express Mail parcel, addressed to a jeweler in Irving, Texas, which contained a pair of earrings.

The case was investigated by the USPS-Office of Inspector General and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wiley.