A Scattered Trail of Evidence

A notification goes off on your phone flagging a $680 purchase you didn’t make. Stranger still is the credit card used was supposed to arrive in the mail a few days ago but never did. What do you do?

One postal customer in Delaware filed a complaint with our Hotline when it happened to him. Our special agents quickly opened an investigation and, having connected with the Smyrna Police Department, found there were similar complaints from other postal customers in the area. And it wasn’t just credit cards — debit cards, personal and business checks, and U.S. Treasury checks were also being stolen and fraudulently used.

Mail theft investigations can be more straightforward when a mail carrier leaves a trail of missing mail along his or her route.

But this was different — the victims were scattered across several routes and the stolen items were being used in a number of different locations.

And the Dover Police Department had been tracking suspects making fraudulent purchases around town. With collusion now clear, it was time to find the person providing the stolen goods to the other fraudsters.

Our special agents interviewed several victims and narrowed down the pool of possible suspects to a mail carrier who wasn’t assigned to a specific route and instead worked several.

One of the victims had home security footage showing the carrier making a partial delivery — two credit cards that should have been delivered that day were missing.

Our special agents found more evidence that showed the mail carrier stashing mail into his personal backpack while on duty. And the Smyrna and Dover Police Departments identified a suspect who seemed directly connected to the mail carrier.

In August 2023 — less than two months after the OIG received the complaint — our special agents and their partners executed search warrants at both suspects’ homes. At the carrier’s residence, they found multiple stolen checks, credit and debit cards, drugs, and firearms. Our special agents then moved to arrest the employee, who confessed to the crimes.

He had been stealing mail and selling it on an app to other co-conspirators. He was also dealing drugs. When asked about the other individual who was arrested, the mail carrier said he had been doing business with him and the man, in turn, sent other buyers to him.

The mail carrier was charged with 108 state charges, while his co-conspirator was charged with 103 state charges. In January 2024, the carrier pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 28 years’ incarceration (suspended) and his position with the Postal Service was terminated.

If you suspect or know of mail theft involving Postal Service employees or contractors, please report it to our Hotline.