Black postal worker rifles through greeting cards and swipes gift cards from mail, feds say

[Negro Life]

In article <ui91el$4og2$1...@dont-email.me>

A postal worker is accused of rifling through greeting cards and
stealing from the mail at a processing center in Louisiana, federal
officials said.

The former United States Postal Service employee said he had been
stealing for months because of tax problems, according to a factual
basis filing.

He has now pleaded guilty following accusations of embezzlement, the
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana said in
a Nov. 3 news release.

He could face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

His defense attorney did not immediately respond to a request for
comment from McClatchy News on Nov. 3.

In April 2021, USPS received complaints that someone was opening
mail at the processing and distribution center in New Orleans,
federal officials said.

The agency’s office of the inspector general set up a surveillance
operation to investigate the reports.

In October 2021, the employee was seen “rifling through greeting
cards he was entrusted to handle,” according to the factual basis.

Agents with the office of the inspector general confronted him at
the processing center, the factual basis said. After agreeing to
cooperate, the mail handler admitted to embezzling and stealing
contents from people’s mail, officials said.

He estimated he stole between $500 and $800 from the mail for
months, he told officials, according to the factual basis.

Investigators said they also found several gift cards in his wallet
that he said he stole.

He was charged with one count of theft of mail matter by a postal
employee in 2022, according to an indictment. He entered the guilty
plea Nov. 1, officials said.

He’s expected to be sentenced Feb. 21.

https://news.yahoo.com/postal-worker-rifles-greeting-cards-
222512774.html