Mt. Vernon Register-News

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November 17, 2010

Postal worker pleads guilty

Staff Report CNHI

BENTON — A Mt. Vernon woman pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing mail while employed by the United States Postal Service.

Jo Lynn Mayberry, 52, pleaded guilty Tuesday to “stealing and wrongfully removing with intent to convert to her own use, the contents of a mail package that came into her possession for the purpose of being delivered by her as an employee of the Postal Service,” according to a press release issued by the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois.

Mayberry faces up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and not more than three years of supervised release following any period of imprisonment.

According to information contained in the stipulation of facts filed with the court at the time of her plea, Mayberry was a letter carrier in charge of delivering mail to Postal Service customers in Jefferson County. Postal Service inspectors started an investigation after receiving complaints from customers along her route that they had not received mail that had been mailed to them.

According to the press release, inspectors observed Mayberry open a letter and take the contents, $40 which had been placed in the envelope and mailed by postal inspectors. When confronted, she admitted to postal inspectors that she opened the piece of mail inspectors observed her open and took the contents. She also admitted to opening numerous letters over the previous year and keeping the contents. According to inspectors, several other opened letters were found in her vehicle. Those items were recovered and forwarded to their proper recipients.

When questioned, Mayberry admitted to Postal Service agents that, as a rural letter carrier, she had opened numerous other letters and kept for herself or discarded contents rather than deliver them to customers.

Sentencing is scheduled for 10 a.m. March 11, 2011, in United States District Court at Benton. Assistant United States Attorney Michael C. Carr is handling the prosecution.

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