5/10/2018 SALYERSVILLE, KY – An employee of the Salyersville United States Post Office is now facing 12 charges related to allegedly stealing mail while working as a carrier.
According to the warrant of arrest issued on May 8, which at press time has not been served, yet, Salyersville Police Chief Matthew Watson was contacted by Kenneth Cleevely, a special agent with the United States Postal Service Office of the Inspector General regarding an investigation of mail fraud.
Christopher Clay Caldwell, 28, of Banner, Kentucky, provided a handwritten statement to law enforcement, confirming that he worked at the Salyersville Post Office as a Rural Carrier Associate and that over the past six months he had gotten into some financial trouble and made the decision to open customers’ mail. Within his letter, he states that he believed that he had done this 11 times and that he would repay everything he had stolen.
As a result of the investigation, Special Agent Cleevely gave Watson copies of a gift card that was addressed and mailed to another individual that was on Caldwell’s route. They had a copy of the card and the card number, which they had traced with video surveillance, showing Caldwell using the card to make a purchase at the Prestonsburg and Pikeville Walmart stores.
Caldwell also stated to law enforcement that he had taken cash, but he didn’t know how much, according to police records.
Currently, Caldwell is facing 11 counts of theft by unlawful taking or disposition all others under $500, misdemeanor charges, and one count of theft of mail matter, a felony. The charges are dated for the time period of March 26 through April 26, 2018.
Reportedly, Caldwell has resigned from his position at the post office.
