6/30/20 – United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Renee L. Coats, 58, of Hastings, NE, was sentenced today in Lincoln by Chief United States District Judge John M. Gerrard for opening and destroying U.S. mail as postal employee.

Coats was sentenced for a term of 3 years’ probation with special conditions, and an additional condition of 6 consecutive weekends (or 2-day periods) of intermittent confinement, to be served within one year. She will also be required to pay a $1,000 fine. There is no parole in the federal system. More here

DOJ Original Announcement Below:

DOJ 4/18/19 – Renee L. Coats, age 56, of Hastings, Nebraska, is charged in a three-count Indictment. In Counts I–III the defendant is charged with Theft of US Mail by Postal Employee on or about September 20, 2018 continuing through October 18, 2018. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years’ imprisonment on each count, a $250,000 fine on each count, a 3-year term of supervised release on each count, and a $100 special assessment per count.