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One postal worker from Milwaukee in Wisconsin, United States was found to have stolen more than 6,000 letters filled with cash and checks. Ebony Lavonne Smith, 20 years old, was caught early this year by postal agents after they planted a transmitter inside a test letter, along with $20.
During summer last year, residents of Wauwatosa complained that they weren’t receiving any of their mail in ZIP codes 53213 and 53226. Smith, who was assigned to deliver mail in those areas last March 2017, was identified. Authorities were then prompted to investigate.
Under surveillance, a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) supervisor watched as Smith went through the letters she was supposed to deliver last January, according to the Journal Sentinel on Sept. 17. As Smith arrived at the address of the test letter, the transmitter was activated and postal agents arrived and approached Smith.
It was reported that the $20 was no longer inside the envelope. The agents allowed Smith to recover the cash, which she hid inside her purse. Authorities found more letters inside Smith’s vehicle, most of which were USPS customer greeting cards as well as a Starbucks gift card.
Court records show that Smith admitted to stealing money from mail one to two days a week, the report stated. She said she stole the cash so she can pay her bills and support her four children.
Last July, auto salvage yard “Wrench N Go” reached out to USPS after the company discovered a large number of U.S. mail in a scrapped USPS company car. Over 6,000 more letters were found, a mixed bag consisting of greeting cards and personal checks. A couple of letters found in the car were addressed to Smith, thus pointing to her as the culprit.
As of this writing, it’s still unknown whether the amount of money, as well as the letters, Smith stole were given to their rightful owners. Meanwhile, Smith has pleaded guilty to theft on Sept. 12 and will be sentenced at a later date. Cody Cepeda/JB
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