Seventh person pleads guilty in Alaska mail thefts

FAIRBANKS - A seventh person has pleaded guilty to a role in a mail theft ring that stole checks and credit cards last year from neighborhoods outside of Fairbanks.

Prosecutors said 21-year-old Vyacheslav Malyk of Delta Junction pleaded guilty Wednesday to second-degree felony theft.

Malyk faces up to two years in prison when he is sentenced May 3. He also could be deported because he is a Russian national.

Authorities said Malyk is believed to have been part of a group of about 10 people who targeted mailboxes in the outlying areas of Fairbanks from September to December 2008.

Court records showed that on one occasion, Malyk cashed a stolen check for $1,400 at Walmart.