A U.S. supervisory postal inspector facing new charges
SAN JOSE, California — A once-renowned U.S. postal inspector has been indicted on charges he rifled through damaged mail and stole valuable items over a two-year span, and also for a separate count of marijuana trafficking, according to federal authorities.
While the mail-theft allegations against Quan Pham Howard, 52, surfaced after his arrest in late June, the charge of possession with intent to distribute 8 kilograms of marijuana was not widely known.
Howard was also formally indicted by a federal grand jury for possessing stolen U.S. mail and the delay and destruction of U.S. mail. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison and potential fines of up to $750,000.
According to the criminal affidavit submitted by the Postal Service’s Office of the Inspector General, between April 2012 and last month, Howard instructed employees at the U.S. Postal Service’s San Jose Processing and Distribution Center to call his office or cellphone whenever valuable items were found loose in the mail. He reportedly told these employees that he was going to reunite the items with their owners.
Howard is alleged to have taken items including a gun scope and silencer, rare coins, loose silver bars, vials of prescription pills, $5,000 in cash and a Joan Rivers collector’s box signed by the comedienne. That’s in addition to collectible 1980s Playboy magazines, Civil War pocket watches, a bayonet, buck knives and passports.
Federal investigators were tipped off this past spring and began watching Howard. During their surveillance they found coin wrappers they had photographed at the San Jose postal facility in his residential trash, along with other evidence that he brought home valuables taken from the mail facility.
Ironically, about a month into the suspected theft timeline put forth by investigators, Howard received a “Federal Employee of the Year” award by the San Francisco Bay Area Federal Executive Board, a federal agency that helps coordinate various federal departments in Northern California.
Additional info:
On about 11/16/13, pursuant to Howard’s instruction, a mail handler notified Howard that a mail parcel containing over $5,000 in cash was found loose in the mail. Before Howard responded to the mail handler at the PDC, a manager at the PDC took secure possession of the mail matter (cash). When Howard arrived at the rewrap area, the mail handler informed him (Howard) that the manager possessed the mail matter (cash). Howard confronted the PDC manager (who knew Howard to be a postal inspector) and demanded to turn over the mail matter (cash). The PDC manager refused to allow Howard to remove the mail matter (cash) from the mail stream. According to PDC policy and postal regulation, the mail matter (cash) was deposited via the San Jose Post Office’s retail window located within the PDC.
Thereafter, from 3/26/14, law enforcement obtained numerous surveillance images of Howard stealing US Mail matter, including cash, drugs, electronics, passports, jewelry, rare coins, precious metals, and other collectable memorabilia from the San Jose PDC
Howard is prohibited from opening US Mail. Further, USPIS personnel, including Howard, may take US Mail for investigative purposes but are prohibited from unlawfully delaying, detaining, and secreting mail matter from processing, and from converting US Mail (and contents) to personal use.
Pending Counts
Possession with Intent to Distribute over 8 kilograms of Marijuana (1)
Possession of Stolen United States Mail (2)
Delay and Destruction of Mail (3)
Counts
Count 1- Delay, Destroy US Mail
Counts 2 & 3 -Theft of U.S. Mail on 2/20/14, 3/26/14
Count 4 – Possession of Stolen U.S. Mail on 4/8/14
Pretty fancy mug shot.
“Joan Rivers”? I’m sure she
would be flattered.
Diamonstein is right…”The U.S. Mail is not for sale.” Lets keep theft, possession and destruction of stolen U.S. Mail in-house. Private sector should not be enticed to commit such crimes…that’s why we have federal employees! Stop Staples!
Yes he sure sounds like a FEDERAL EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR. They should make an example out of him. Just another example of how the addiction of greed runs rampant in the post office; most of the thieves do not get caught. No ethics, no morales, and no conscience is common.
There are plenty of bad people in all areas of the Service to go around, so let’s not pigeonhole. Perhaps having access to the goods this person had proved to be too big of a temptation – it’s been known to happen, not that I advocate what he’s charged with by any stretch. I’ve had my share of fingerpointing at others and I’m no better than my co-worker, although I am no thief or anything bad like that. I guess I’m just worn out and feel the fight going out of me the closer to retirement day I get. The whole organization would do well to try to be more professional in a world where dependability, accuracy and honesty are in increasingly short supply.
Perfect postmaster qualifications! I see a promotion in his future!!
Another rent-a-cop bites the dust.