Hood River defense attorney Brian Aaron was appointed on Tuesday to represent an accused mail thief.
Robert Earl Ross, 22, made his first appearance in Circuit Court where two counts of identity theft and two counts of forgery were leveled against him. Hood River County District Attorney John Sewell has also charged Ross with possession of methamphetamine.
Sewell anticipates that Ross will end up serving time in the county jail and be subject to probationary conditions.
“His criminal history is not sufficient enough that he would be subject to a prison sentence under current Oregon guidelines,” he said.
However, Ross’ arrest on March 1 by Sheriff Detective Bob Davidson has also caught the eye of U.S. Postal inspectors. Dozens of pieces of mail — belonging to 200 crime victims — were found inside his vehicle.
The federal agency is returning the correspondence to the rightful owners — and informing patrons that they have become victims of a crime. Ross could also face federal penalties as well as the local charges brought against him.
A small amount of methamphetamine and a burglary kit were also recovered during the search of the vehicle. Both Ross and his wife, Tamara, 24, who was in the car at the time of his arrest, were cited for drug possession.
At 11 a.m. on March 21, Aaron is expected to assist Ross in setting a date for entry of plea. Meanwhile, the White Salmon resident is being held in NORCOR on a $5,000 cash bail.
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