According to court documents, on July 11, 2024, a masked individual approached a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier on his route in Virginia Beach, brandished a handgun, and demanded the victim’s arrow key. An arrow key is a master key used to access a variety of mail repositories, including blue collection boxes, outdoor parcel lockers, and apartment mailbox panels in a given area. The masked individual fled to a car in which Cameron Hunter Brown, 29, was waiting, and Brown and the masked individual fled in the vehicle.

Law enforcement identified the vehicle and located it on July 17, 2024. While the vehicle was stationary in an ATM drive-thru lane, officers attempted a traffic stop and instructed Brown to turn off the vehicle. Instead, Brown reversed out of the drive-thru lane, struck the credit-union building, sped through an unoccupied ATM lane, and fled with police in pursuit.

During the pursuit, brown tossed a handgun from the driver-side window onto a sidewalk. The handgun, which was later recovered, was equipped with a machinegun conversion device (MCD), rendering it capable of fully automatic fire. The handgun had been reported stolen from Chesapeake.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division and Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C., investigated this case with assistance from the Hampton Police Division.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon E.A. Heath prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

Danielle Marie Harms, 38, pleaded guilty in February 2026 to one count of misappropriation of postal funds.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

The government alleged in court documents that Harms stole more than $8,000 from the U.S. Postal Service as an employee of the Bainville Post Office by issuing fake money orders and then cashing them.

Harms began working for the post office in Bainville in February 2023. Bainville is one of the country’s few remaining “manual” post offices, meaning money orders issued by the office are written down by hand on paper for USPS transaction records. If the money order is purchased by credit or debit card a record of the purchase is also submitted electronically to the bank after it’s been written down on paper.

After learning the system, Harms began issuing money orders to herself and her boyfriend, recording them by hand as card transactions but never submitting the information to the bank. This allowed her to cash the money order while keeping the books balanced within the post office. USPS employs a service that regularly checks the postal service’s transactions with the bank to ensure the figures reconcile. Running one of these checks in August 2024, the service found a discrepancy of $8,235.91.

This launched an investigation and in January 2025 a special agent with the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General interviewed Harms, who eventually admitted to faking and cashing 34 money orders. She also admitted to taking cash from the post office till.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation.

USPS News Link – A former carrier technician in Missouri was recently sentenced to one year in federal prison and ordered to repay nearly $22,000 for stealing checks and selling her arrow key to a criminal organization.

An arrow key — which allows access to USPS collection boxes and cluster boxes — can be used to steal mail.

The carrier technician sold her key to the leader of a crime ring in return for cash and groceries, and she told him which boxes the key would open. She also stole checks from her Post Office and from the mail she was supposed to deliver.

The ringleader paid accomplices to steal mail using the stolen key — targeting checks, credit cards and other valuables that could be altered and fraudulently used. He then recruited other people who allowed him to use their bank accounts to deposit forged and fraudulent checks.

The ringleader posted pictures on social media and an online marketplace showing stacks of cash, stolen driver’s licenses and check-deposit receipts.

Special agents from the Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General, or OIG, teamed with inspectors from the Postal Inspection Service to arrest the carrier, the ringleader and one of the people who purchased some of the stolen goods.

Investigators estimated the total losses to be $1.2 million.

The carrier technician initially lied to investigators when confronted and deleted her messages with the ringleader, but she eventually pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of unlawful use of a mail key.

She was sentenced to a year plus a day in prison and ordered to repay $21,635 in restitution.

The ringleader was sentenced to 42 months in prison after pleading guilty to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

The OIG recently highlighted this case on its website.

If you suspect or know of mail theft involving USPS employees or contractors, report it to the OIG.

Khalea Turner, 29, of Hull, pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of mails. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. Turner was charged in May 2026.

From approximately November 2022 to January 2026, Turner worked as a full-time letter carrier and covered routes in the three Boston neighborhoods, as well as the Fort Point neighborhood. During his time as a letter carrier, Turner obstructed approximately 14,700 pieces of mail by storing the mail in a U-Haul storage locker that he rented in Weymouth, Mass. On Jan. 9, 2026, the mail was recovered by law enforcement. Included in the recovered mail were U.S. passports, jury notifications, government checks, education documents and immigration paperwork, addressed to USPS customers along Turner’s delivery routes in Brighton, Dorchester and Mattapan.

The charge of obstruction of mail provides for a sentence of up to six months in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $5,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon statutes that govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lucy Sun and Colin T. Missett of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

Today’s sentence followed Ruth’s prior entry of a guilty plea to twenty-five separate counts of mail fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud class action administrators throughout the country.  Following Ruth’s imprisonment, he will be on federal supervised release for three years.

According to filed court documents and statements made in court, Ruth was previously sentenced to prison for 56-months for Conspiracy to Defraud the United States Social Security Administrator, and Conspiracy to Defraud the United States Department of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, in the Southern District of Indiana.  Upon his release from imprisonment, in October of 2023, Ruth began serving a term of federal supervised release in the Eastern District of Tennessee that required him to submit truthful monthly reports to his supervising probation officer.

From at least January 2023 and continuing through at least July of 2025, Ruth engaged in a large-scale scheme to deceive class action administrators and to enrich himself through fraud.  Ruth identified class action lawsuit settlements and submitted hundreds of fraudulent claim forms to different class action administrators in which he purported to be entitled to relief under the terms of the relevant class action lawsuit.  Ruth predominately used the names of former Major League Baseball players to submit false claims.  To facilitate his fraud, Ruth opened post office boxes throughout northeast Tennessee to receive mail from class action administrators and opened a bank account in the name a sham business called “El Mundo Marketing” to deposit fraudulent received payments from class action administrators.  Ruth used proceeds from the fraud scheme to travel, to gamble, and to continue the scam.  Ruth admitted that he attempted to obtain more than $250,000 through his fraud scheme.

Ruth repeatedly submitted false monthly supervision reports to his probation officer to facilitate his mail fraud scheme.  For example, Ruth falsely reported on numerous monthly supervision reports that he did not have access to a post office box when, in truth, Ruth had thirteen separate post office boxes that he used to advance his mail fraud scheme.  Additionally, Ruth falsely reported on monthly supervision reports that he did not travel out-of-state when, in fact, Ruth regularly traveled out-of-state without permission.

“George Herman Ruth’s conviction exemplifies the unwavering commitment of the United States Attorney’s Office to investigate and prosecute individuals who commit fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee.  “The eleven-year prison sentence imposed today reflects the seriousness of Ruth’s actions and will hopefully deter others from running schemes to defraud in the Eastern District of Tennessee.”

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has been at the forefront of protecting consumers from fraud schemes for many years,” said Inspector in Rodney M. Hopkins of the United States Postal Inspection Service’s Atlanta Division.  “Anyone who engages in deceptive practices like this should know they will not go undetected and will be held accountable, regardless of where they are.”

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, and the Morristown Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan Blackwell, Christian Lampe, Mac Heavener, and Wayne Taylor represented the United States.

The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall and announced by Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

Joshua M. Holmes, 21, of Miami, was sentenced to 36 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release and fined $2,000 after pleading guilty to Theft of Mail, Bank Fraud, and Aggravated Identity Theft.

Holmes’ codefendant, Coleshia Carter, 22, of East Point, Georgia, was also sentenced during court proceedings to 24 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release and fined $1,000 after pleading guilty to Aggravated Identity Theft.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“The actions of these defendants not only impacted the business victims in and around Augusta, but also undermined the integrity of our financial systems,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “Let this case serve as a reminder that crime does not pay, and that we will do whatever we can to serve justice and safeguard our communities.”

As described in court documents, from January 2023 to January 2024, the defendants took part in a mail theft scheme in which they would steal mail from Augusta area U.S. postal receptacles and washed checks found in the mail to create counterfeit checks which were then deposited into unauthorized accounts or used for large purchases.

“This sentencing is a statement that mail theft will not be tolerated, and the perpetrators will be brought to justice,” said Rodney M. Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will continue to partner with fellow law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to collectively pursue criminals who victimize Postal customers.”

The FBI, United States Postal Inspection Service and Richmond County Sheriff’s Office investigated the cases, which were prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia First Assistant U.S. Attorney David H. Estes.

“These sentences should make clear that those who illegally use Americans’ personal information to facilitate fraud will face serious consequences,” said Matthew Ploskunak, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent in FBI Atlanta’s Augusta office. “The FBI will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to deliver justice for the victims of complex fraud schemes.”

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Postal service employees occupy positions of public trust through which they are expected to responsibly process and deliver our nation’s mail. This defendant repeatedly violated that public trust while seeking to enrich herself and her co-defendant at the expense of others, but thanks to this multi-agency investigation and successful prosecution their scheme has been dismantled and federal prison awaits both defendants.”

Court documents reflect that between March 11, 2021, and May 21, 2024, Smith was employed by the United States Postal Service, in Tallahassee, Florida. Due to her employment, Smith had access to a postal key, which she stole and gave to her co-defendant, Williams. Together, Smith and Williams conspired to steal U.S. Mail, which included stealing mailed checks that they fraudulently deposited in financial institutions and thereafter split the proceeds of their scheme. Court records also show that Smith fraudulently received and used online bank login credentials of other individuals as part of the conspiracy.

Smith and Williams face the following penalties: up to 5 years’ imprisonment on the conspiracy to commit mail theft count; up to 10 years’ imprisonment on the unlawful possession or theft of a mail key; up to 30 years’ imprisonment on the bank fraud conspiracy count; and a mandatory consecutive term of 2 years’ imprisonment for each of the aggravated identity theft counts. Williams also faces up to 5 years’ imprisonment on the theft of mail count and up to 30 years’ imprisonment for each bank fraud count.

This case was jointly investigated by the Tallahassee Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.

Smith’s sentencing is scheduled for July 14, 2026, at 2:00 pm at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida, before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.

Williams’s sentencing is scheduled for August 10, 2026, at 3:30 pm at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida, before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.

Cordova, 51, of San Jose, was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 23, 2025, on charges of federal robbery and assault.  He pleaded guilty to both counts of the indictment on March 31, 2026.  According to the plea agreement, Cordova admitted that he went inside a United States Postal Service (USPS) mail truck with the intent to steal mail.  A USPS letter carrier approached him as Cordova was taking mail.  Cordova punched the letter carrier in the face, knocking him to the ground.  Cordova then got on top of the letter carrier and continued to punch him several times in the face and head.

According to court documents, the letter carrier sustained a broken nose, a fractured orbital socket, and had a permanent metal plate placed inside of his face due to his injuries.  Judge Freeman found that Cordova qualified as career offender under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

“Today’s sentence underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting federal employees who serve the public every day.  Anyone who attacks postal workers—or any public servant—will be held fully accountable,” said United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian.

“Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of the crime committed in this case.  Hardworking people come into your neighborhoods to deliver mail, they deserve respect and protection,” said U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) San Francisco Division Inspector in Charge Stephen M. Sherwood.  “Postal inspectors will not relent from bringing anyone who harms a postal worker to justice.  I want to thank the San Jose Police Department for their excellent response and teamwork and the Northern District of California U.S. Attorney’s Office for their determination in prosecuting this case.”

The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service for transport to the Bureau of Prisons.  In addition to the prison term, Judge Freeman sentenced Cordova to a 3-year period of supervised release.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Neal C. Hong is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Sahib Kaur.  This prosecution is the result of an investigation by USPIS and the San Jose Police Department.

Read PEN’s previous coverage here.

Michael Vernon, 53, of Waltham, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Brian E. Murphy to time served (one day) to be followed by one year of supervised release. Vernon was also ordered to pay a fine of $1,000. In December 2025, Vernon pleaded guilty to one count of theft of mail by a postal officer or employee. Vernon was arrested and charged in September 2025.

On Jan. 31, 2024, over 1,000 pieces of undelivered mail and 17 bottles of pills prescribed to 10 different postal customers on Vernon’s postal route were discovered in his personal vehicle. Most of the customers whose medications Vernon stole were elderly. The medications included Gabapentin, Chlorthalidone, Citalopram, Bupropion, Glipizide, Butalbital, Atomoxetine, Escitalopram and Tamsulosin Hydrochloride. These medications are used to treat nerve pain, seizures, diabetes, high blood pressure, enlarged prostate, depression, anxiety and ADHD. The pill bottles were dated as far back as June 2022.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Wichers of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.

Read PEN’s previous coverage here.

According to court documents, Joyce L. Smith, 51, of Wichita pleaded guilty to one count of theft by government employee.
Smith previously worked as the postmaster for a post office in Scott City, Kansas. Between January 2023 and February 2025, Smith embezzled approximately $57,400 from the USPS.

An audit revealed Smith stole approximately $10,600 in cash payments from customers and issued herself approximately $3,700 in money orders. Smith also embezzled approximately $3,400 that customers paid for their post office boxes.

Some customers made regular check payments for permits or mass mailings. Smith accepted the checks and provided the services to customers, but she did not log the receipts into USPS records.   The USPS cannot account for checks for a total of $16,788 issued by the City of Scott City, $5,850 in checks issued by Scott County Landfill, and $17,108 in checks issued by a local newspaper.

“As postmaster, Joyce Smith likely thought her position would allow her to continue to fill her pockets with money that didn’t belong her without getting caught or facing any consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “Her behavior reminds us of why audits and other forms of government oversight of financial records are necessarily.”

“This guilty plea represents the hard work and dedication by USPS OIG Special Agents working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring charges on this financial fraud investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Dennus Bishop, U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Central Area Field Office. “The OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the U.S. Mail and ensuring the accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees.”

The U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General (USPS- OIG) is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith is prosecuting the case.