In San Antonio, a federal judge sentenced 27-year-old Sarah Richford of San Antonio, to 20 years imprisonment in connection with the shooting of a U.S. Mail carrier last year in Spring Branch, TX.
In addition to the prison term, Chief U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia ordered that Richford pay $175,405.92 restitution and be placed on supervised release for a period of five years after completing her prison term.
On February 23, 2018, Richford pleaded guilty to five charges including aiding and abetting carjacking; aiding and abetting use of a firearm during a crime of violence; aiding and abetting robbery of U.S. Mail; and, two counts of aiding and abetting assault on a federal officer.
According to court records, on February 11, 2017, Richford’s co-defendant, 24-year-old Bradley Ahearn, shot a female U.S. Mail carrier as she was delivering mail to a cluster of mailboxes in Spring Branch, TX. The victim is still recovering from the gunshot that pierced both of her legs. Ahearn fled the scene in the Mail carrier’s vehicle followed by Richford in a separate vehicle.
On February 14, 2017, employees of a local motel notified investigators of the presence of a large amount of U.S. Mail and a handgun case in one of the motel rooms. Much of the discovered mail, originating from locations across the country, was destined for addresses in the Spring Branch, TX area. Motel surveillance footage showed a third co-defendant, 41-year-old Piper Lee, picking up Ahearn and Richford and leaving the motel in Lee’s yellow Volkswagen. Investigators requested San Antonio police to initiate a stop of the vehicle. While failing to yield to SAPD officers, Ahearn began shooting at the police officers and another high-speed pursuit ensued. Ultimately, the defendants abandoned their vehicle inside a parking garage of a local mall and managed to elude capture by law enforcement.
On February 15, 2017, San Antonio police officers, acting on information provided to investigators, arrested Ahearn, Richford and Lee without incident in a parking lot of a different local motel.
On July 12, 2018, Ahearn was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to seven charges including aiding and abetting carjacking; aiding and abetting use of a firearm during a crime of violence; aiding and abetting robbery of U.S. Mail; and, four counts of aiding and abetting assault on a federal officer.
Lee, who remains in federal custody, faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
