Last Thursday, police officers were alerted to package theft suspects in the area of Perlita and Gitano, according to the Irvine Police Department.
The IPD sent their police drone as a first responder ad it located the suspects’ Tesla near an apartment mailroom. It then watched two women taking packages and trying to enter another mailroom for more.
The responding officers detained the two women and recovered several stolen packages from their vehicle.
Shensha Fan, 26, and Fang Hou, 52, both of Yorba Linda, were arrested for burglary. In Irvine, packages are delivered, and so are consequences.
Shensha Fan and Fang Hou face a combination of California state and potential federal penalties following their December 2025 arrest for burglary and package theft in Irvine.
California State Penalties
As the suspects were specifically arrested for burglary (Penal Code § 459), they may face the following under state law:
- Second-Degree Burglary (Commercial/Non-Residential): Because the incident involved an apartment mailroom rather than an inhabited dwelling, it is typically charged as second-degree burglary. As a “wobbler,” it can be prosecuted as a misdemeanor or a felony.
- Felony: 16 months, two years, or three years in county jail and fines up to $10,000.
- Misdemeanor: Up to one year in county jail and a maximum fine of $1,000.
- Mail Theft (PC § 530.5(e)): This is a separate misdemeanor charge for stealing mail or packages, punishable by up to one year in county jail and a $1,000 fine.
- Grand Theft (PC § 487): If the total value of the recovered packages exceeds $950, they could face grand theft charges, punishable by up to three years in prison.
- Possession of Stolen Property with Intent to Sell (AB 2943): Under 2025 California law, possessing more than $950 of stolen goods with intent to sell is a felony punishable by up to three years in jail.
- Conspiracy (PC § 182): Because the two women allegedly acted together, they can be charged with conspiracy, which carries the same penalty as the underlying crime they agreed to commit.
Federal Penalties
Because mail is protected by the federal government, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service may pursue separate charges under 18 U.S. Code § 1708.
- Mail Theft Felony: Conviction under federal law can result in up to five years in federal prison and fines of up to $250,000.
- Enhanced Sentencing: A bill introduced in February 2025, the “Ensuring the Safety of Our Mail Act of 2025,” seeks to double the maximum federal penalty for mail theft from five to 10 years.
- Mail Fraud: If the theft was part of a larger scheme to defraud, penalties can escalate to 20 years in prison.