“Incompetent Criminal” is Sentenced
December 2016 – James Joseph Taylor, Jr. had been described by a judge, as well as the press, as the “incompetent criminal.” Charged with two federal counts of illegal possession of a Postal Service key, each punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and three counts of possession of stolen mail, each count carrying a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison. But on December 20, 2016, he was sentenced to 1 year and 1 day.
Diana Taylor, mother of James Joseph Taylor, Jr., had worried her son would be serving 20 years in prison and had asked attorney Demetrio Duarte, Jr., who represented Mr. Taylor, “for a miracle.” While Duarte made no promises, it was clear Diana was happy with the sentencing terms and called it, “nothing short of a miracle.”