Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, today announced that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Terry L. Lambert, 51, of Clinton, Ohio, with theft of mail by a postal employee and unauthorized opening of mail by a postal employee.

The indictment alleges that from as early as February 2009 until April 8, 2010, Terry L. Lambert, a Mail Handler assigned to the Akron Processing and Distribution Center, Akron, Ohio, stole cash, a gift card, Cleveland Indians’ tickets, DVDs, and a necklace from first-class letters which had come into his possession to be conveyed by mail.

The indictment was presented to the grand jury by Assistant United States Attorney Carol M. Skutnik after investigation by agents of the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.