The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A Virginia mail delivery carrier allegedly became so overwhelmed by the amount of mail he was expected to deliver that he rented a storage unit and held onto approximately 5000 pieces of mail he failed to deliver.
Jason Delacruz, 38, was hired by the United States Postal Service in Virginia Beach, Virginia in June 2018.
At the end of May 2019, the USPS Office of the Inspector General was notified about a situation regarding the possibility that one of the mail carriers was placing undelivered mail into a storage rental unit. The person who reported the incident submitted photographs that they had obtained of someone that appeared to be a mail carrier and included pictures of the license plate of the car that the suspect was driving.
Based on the information submitted with the complaint, the authorities suspected Delacruz was responsible for the reported activity and they confronted him about the allegations.
When speaking with Delacruz, the man was reported as telling the officials that around the holiday season in 2018 he became overwhelmed by the amount of mail he was expected to deliver on his route. He reported that he had good intentions of taking the time to catch up, but things continued to pile up so he rented a storage garage to temporarily hold it. Ultimately, Delacruz stated that he was not guilty of mail theft.
Agents from the Office of the Inspector General were issued permission by Delacruz to search the unit and his automobile. When his car was inspected, no mail was located, but when they looked inside the storage unit it was reported that nearly 100 pieces of first-class mail, over 100 magazines, and 4,723 pieces that were ads from a variety of places.
Delacruz, who resigned from his job, was charged with a felony count of theft or delay of mail matter by an officer or employee. He entered a plea of guilty, and he is free on his own recognizance while awaiting his sentencing set on February 12.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a crime, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.