SYRACUSE, N.Y. – A former highway contract driver for the U.S Postal Service was sentenced Monday to a year of probation and 25 hours of community service for stealing more than $1,000 from 160 pieces of mail. The judge also ordered the driver to pay a $250 fine and $1,155.95 in restitution to the victims.
The former Waterville, New York driver Michael Oliver was charged with opening mail addressed to others and retaining the contents of that mail on May 15, 2014 and September 3, 2014.
Oliver was working as a highway contract driver for the Postal Service in Oneida and Chenango counties when he stole greeting cards, cash, and gift cards from the mail, federal prosecutor said.
U.S. Magistrate Judge David Peebles received 31 victim-impact statements from the people whose mail Oliver opened.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Postal Service.