7 postal workers charged with mail theft from Rhode Island distribution hub

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Federal prosecutors charged seven postal workers with stealing mail — targeting brightly colored cards that might contain checks or gift cards — as part of mail theft ring, officials said Wednesday.

A supervisor and six workers collaborated to remove mail from a United States Postal Service distribution center in Providence, sorting, separating and concealing mail they believed to contain cash, checks or gift cards, officials said. One defendant was caught with a backpack of stolen mail that included over $1.3 million worth of checks, officials said.

“The misuse of public employment for private gain is both a serious crime and profound breach of the public trust,” U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha said Wednesday in a statement. The arrests and federal charges “send a clear message that those who engage in public corruption for personal gain will be held accountable,” he said.

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