HOUSTON – A former supervisor with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has been convicted of theft of money from the government, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson. The federal jury sitting in Houston found Brandon Antwan Junior, 32, of Houston, guilty of stealing from the USPS following a three-day trial and less than two hours of deliberation. 
Junior was a floor supervisor at the USPS – Southmore Station. During trial, the jury heard that he held that position when more than $76,000 in postal receipts went missing from February through July 2013.
The investigation into Junior began after the manager of the Southmore Station reported to USPS officials that two substantial deposits had gone missing. The process of making deposits involves one employee filling out deposit slips which must be verified by the supervisor. They are then sealed in official registry bags. The supervisor then gives the bags to a delivery driver who then takes them to a registry clerk at the Houston General Post Office (GPO).
The jury heard from a registry clerk who reported she had received on at least one occasion a registry sack that had a hole in in it near the top.
A delivery driver also testified about taking bags that appeared to have been cut open to the GPO from the Southmore Station. The driver also reported that he had seen Junior alone near the delivery truck on more than one occasion. He further offered testimony about receiving a registry bag with a loose seal from the Southmore Station. He had showed it to Junior, who claimed that nothing was missing and resealed the bag. However, the next day, a missing item was reported from that bag at the GPO.
The jury saw video of Junior opening that sack and removing a blue envelope, believed to contain $17,501 in postal receipts.
The jury also saw video of Junior on another occasion in which he appeared to remove an item from another registry sack and place it in a cabinet under his desk. $14,293 had been removed. On that day, USPS officials then followed him as he departed work and soon initiated their emergency lights in an attempt to conduct a traffic stop. Junior first appeared to stop, but soon sped away exceeding speeds of 100 miles an hour. He was later ordered to return to work where he was shown the video footage. He claimed he was just checking the mail.
Junior faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine at his sentencing hearing. U.S. District Judge David Hittner, who presided over the trial, has set that hearing for Aug. 11, 2015. Previously on bond, Judge Hittner ordered Junior into custody upon the return of the guilty verdict where he will remain pending sentening.
USPS – Office of Inspector General investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard D. Hanes and Celia Moyer are prosecuting the case.