A former mailman who stole cash, gift cards and medication entered a guilty plea to theft of mail by a postal employee this week in a Texarkana federal court.
According to court records filed this week, Thomas was employed as a City Carrier Associate for the U.S. Postal Service and assigned to the main post office in Texarkana, Texas, in November 2015. Thomas opened a light blue envelope while delivering mail Nov. 4, 2015, and pocketed a $20 which was tucked inside a greeting card. A short time later, while continuing on his regular route, Thomas was stopped and questioned by agents with the postal service’s Office of Inspector General.
During questioning, Thomas admitted to stealing the cash Nov. 4, 2015, and to stealing cash and gift cards from mail between July 2015 and October 2015. Thomas also admitted that he opened a package containing medications shipped to an area veteran from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Thomas claims he sold some of the medication for a profit.
Thomas is expected to receive a three-year term of probation and be assessed a $1,500 fine at sentencing in a few months. Sentencing will be scheduled before U.S. District Judge Robert Schroeder once federal officials have completed a pre-sentence investigation which is expected to include the amount of restitution Thomas owes the victims of his thefts.
