NORFOLK, Va. — When you send mail through the U.S. Postal Service, you expect it be delivered. However, in too many cases, mail is getting stolen.
The WTKR News 3 Investigative Team continues to follow through on problems with the U.S. Postal Service. We've learned that now, a Norfolk postal employee is accused of stealing mail.
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An indictment says in June and November of 2023, 32-year old Kiesha Brown allegedly stole a check from the mail. Then, in February 2024, she’s accused of stealing and attempting to steal 28 pieces of mail.
The Office of the Inspector General investigates when postal employees get in trouble for stealing mail. They say these cases are rare, but there is a small number of people that abuse the public’s trust.
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Their Semiannual Report to Congress tracked data and other information from October 2023 until March 2024.
In that time frame, there were 193 arrests made and 209 indictments. Federal officials said most of these cases involved a postal employee, but leaders with the Office of the Inspector General stress the number of arrests is a small fraction of the total number of employees, which is about 636,000.
Legal analyst Sonny Stallings said any kind of mail theft is a problem, especially this time of year.
“We've got an election coming up and now, we're hearing that people are stealing things from the mail,” said Stallings. “It's very discouraging… It is a position of trust and you take something that was entrusted to you to be delivered in the United States Postal Service. You should see the inside of a federal penitentiary if you are guilty.”
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Brown is facing three felony counts of theft of mail matter.
USPS said she no longer works there, but she had been employed as a letter carrier from March of 2013 until February 2024.
Attempts to reach her were unsuccessful.
She is scheduled for an arraignment on November 6 in the Norfolk Federal Courthouse.
