A former California Bulk Mail Center (BMC) supervisor pled guilty yesterday in US District Court to one count of theft of mail.
The postal employee resigned from the Postal Service in November 2006. He was later indicted by a federal grand jury for the thefts on May 8.
The investigation by Office of Inspector General (OIG) Special Agents began last year after postal managers discovered 10 to 12 opened Amazon.com boxes with missing contents.
The parcels were received in an open condition from the California BMC.
OIG video surveillance showed the BMC supervisor stealing electronic items from the mail.
“Our investigation revealed the supervisor had been stealing items from Amazon.com and other retailers for over six months,” the OIG said in a statement to the press. “In searches of the supervisor’s residence, Special Agents recovered hundreds of electronic items determined to be stolen from the mail. The estimated retail value of the items recovered is approximately $40,000.”
“Almost all of the billions of pieces of mail that are entrusted to the Postal Service for delivery do, in fact, get delivered intact and in a timely manner,” said Daniel L. Mihalko, Communication Specialist at OIG. “On the infrequent occasions when mail is reported rifled, delayed or stolen by postal employees or contractors, Special Agents of the Office of Inspector General aggressively investigate those allegations as we did in the case involving the acting supervisor in San Francisco.
“The American public has an expectation that their mail will be delivered unopened, unread, intact and in a timely manner. OIG investigations ensure that confidence in the mail system.”
The plea agreement includes a sentence of 18 months in federal prison and 36 months of supervised release thereafter.
