Former postal employee indicted for stealing cash, gift cards from mail
A recent federal indictment alleges that a former employee of the United States Postal Service (“USPS”) stole cash and gift cards from the mail over a ten-month period. The indictment, filed on December 7, 2010, charges Christina M. Steiner, age 35, of Forest Lake, with one count of theft of mail by a postal employee. The indictment was unsealed earlier today, following Steiner’s initial appearance in federal court in the District of Minnesota.
Steiner purportedly stole between $600 and $800 in cash and gift cards from the mail entrusted to her as an employee of the Forest Lake Post Office. According to the indictment, the thefts occurred between December of 2009 and September 18, 2010. Steiner no longer works for the U.S. Postal Service.
If convicted, Steiner faces a potential maximum penalty of five years in prison. All sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge.
This case is the result of an investigation by the USPS-Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura M. Provinzino.
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An indictment is a determination by a grand jury that there is probable cause to believe that offenses have been committed by a defendant. A defendant, of course, is presumed innocent until he or she pleads guilty or is proven guilty at trial.
Concerned Postal Worker, why don’t you print your real name.
[Name removed by PEN – please do not post names in comments. Thank you.]
I am not upset; and I am not bad mouthing innocent people. I simply expressed the truth.
Postal, sorry for the confusion, but I was not referring to the article. I was referring to the person who posted the comment below the article. He has been badmouthing innocent people all over the web because he got fired and is upset.
PEN did not write this article…it was a press release either from the Dept of Justice or the USPS OIG office.
Sir, the person above you are speaking of retired from the USPS 10 years ago and was never found guilty of any crime!! Your many web posts have been brought to his attention. It was recommended that he should print your comments found on this site and numerous others, including Facebook. It was also recommended that he contact an attorney with this information which is slandering his name. I strongly suggest you remove his name from any existing post/blogs, and any other individuals names you have slandered in these posts. It sounds like you are obviously upset, but you can go around calling everyone a crook who is involved in some imaginary conspiricy against you……
USPS Manager Kenneth Benaquista, of Belleville, NJ, extorted $700 in cash from Bill Tinger, a letter carrier under his supervision. Tinger put a dent in an insured postal vehicle while driving it. I advised Benaquista to return the money after Tinger requested my help. I reported the crooked manager.
The USPS, NALC Merged NJ Branch 38, and the USPS-Office of the Inspector General–all did nothing. Benaquista has been collecting $3,500 a month as his pension for the past 10 years. I was wrongfully terminated from my job after having to endure harassment and retaliation from postal management for three years before my firing. I also lost my pension. Someone needs to investigate my situation. I delivered the mail for 22 years; and I spent the last 17 years on the same route in Belleville, NJ!!!