HOUSTON -- A rising star in the Houston professional boxing scene has pleaded guilty to his second felony crime for stealing mail from the cargo hold of airliners parked at Bush Intercontinental Airport, Local 2 Investigates reported Tuesday.

Donald Mouton, 30, worked at Continental Airlines when he was first caught with cash that was stolen from greeting cards. He avoided jail time and was still reporting to federal probation officers when U.S. postal inspectors arrested him again in July.

He was fired by the airline after his first offense, but he admitted in court that he used a former co-worker to continue stealing credit cards that were being shipped from one post office to another aboard Continental jets.

An undercover postal inspector paid Mouton $1,000 for a stack of 45 stolen debit cards that contained unemployment benefits for people throughout Texas and Louisiana.

Mouton will be sentenced in December. He could receive up to five years in federal prison because of his repeat offender status.

Despite his record, a federal magistrate judge allowed him to remain free for nationally televised boxing events in Las Vegas and New Jersey. A different judge allowed him to remain free after his latest guilty plea as well.

Prosecutors said he is cooperating with the investigation, which is now aimed at present Continental Airlines employees.

Previous Stories:

Mail Theft Suspect Released For Boxing Event: Stephen Dean Reports
• June 28, 2008: Arrests Begin For Credit Cards Stolen From Airliners