USPS Office of Inspector General

The Coin Collector: Unmasking a Postal Thief

Investigative Case Highlights | August 13, 2025

In came a trifecta of complaints: a group of companies, a local postmaster, and a U.S. representative all contacted our Hotline to report expensive collectable coins were being stolen from the mail and sold to jewelers and pawn shops in the greater Houston area.

With a single coin’s value near $12,000, the total theft to victims surpassed $400,000.

It wasn’t exactly the missing piece of the puzzle, but the convergence of complaints helped investigators uncover where the thefts were occurring and, from there, the prime suspect emerged: a lone Postal Service employee charged with handling mail at a nearby processing plant.

When they caught the employee in the act, investigators knew this wasn’t her first rodeo: She didn’t carelessly rifle through mail looking for valuables. She was methodical — discreetly targeting parcels believed to hold valuables, hiding them on her person, and calmly walking out of the plant.

When her shift ended, she drove away from the job just like any other day. Except it wasn’t — it was the last day of her 26-year career with one of America’s most trusted government agencies.

Our special agents arrested her a short distance away and searched her car, where they found over $8,000 in cash, multiple cell phones, and about 85 collectable coins, including the ones she had stolen that night.

The employee confessed she had been stealing mail for the last three to four years.” She said she hoarded many stolen goods at home and gave some away, including coins that were later sold to fine jewelers and other sellers. The recipients of those items, she said, were innocent as she never told them they were stolen.

When investigators searched her home, they found piles of loot: over 600 valuable collectible coins; brand-name laptops, smartphones, and wearable devices; gaming equipment and small household appliances; gift cards and luxury retail items; a 1 oz. gold bar and more cash; and over 6,000 U.S. Forever stamps and a sack-full of unopened packages.

She was criminally charged, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to over three years in prison. The court also ordered her to pay back almost $180,000 to her victims.

No one likes having their mail stolen, but if it’s happening to you, it may be happening to others. If you suspect or know of mail theft involving Postal Service employees or contractors, please report it to our Hotline.

For further reading:

Department of Justice (via uspsoig.gov), Beaumont Postal Employee Sentenced for Stealing Mail