PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland man was sentenced to federal prison today for his role in a scheme to steal large quantities of mail and use victims’ personal and financial documents and information to fraudulently obtain apartment leases, open bank accounts without authorization, and acquire other goods and services.
Cody Joel Stewart, 43, was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release. Stewart was also ordered to pay $211,831 in restitution to his victims.
According to court documents, between April 2020 and April 2023, Stewart worked with multiple accomplices, including Portland residents Felicia Lynn Hawkins and Patrick Dorin Balan, both 35, to carry out a fraud scheme whereby the group would steal large quantities of mail to obtain victims’ personal and financial information.