BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A Bakersfield man was sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in prison Tuesday for being a felon in possession of a shotgun, mail theft and financial fraud, according to the Department of Justice.
Christopher Smith, 36, was a previously convicted felon who unlawfully possessed a 12-gauge shotgun that he kept in a storage unit, according to officials.
Smith obtained hundreds of pieces of stolen mail, which included checks with a value of over $100,000 and 27 debit cards that belonged to businesses and individuals from March through July of 2020, according to officials.
He then forged and altered the checks and used the debit cards to deposit the checks and make cash withdrawals.
