A former Janesville postal carrier was sentenced Tuesday for stealing mail, according to a state Department of Justice release.

Kristy Hollibrush, 43, was sentenced to two years’ probation and $1,225 in restitution for the theft, officials said. Hollibrush pleaded guilty to the charge Nov. 13.

Hollibrush worked as a rural letter carrier with the U.S. Post Office in Janesville since 1999, according to the release. From late 2011 through September 2012, Hollibrush took items from the mail that she was supposed to deliver.

Postal inspectors began investigating Hollibush after receiving multiple complaints from patrons about lost mail.

On Sept. 25, 2012, postal inspectors installed a surveillance camera in Hollibush’s delivery vehicle and planted five pieces of first-class mail from cooperative customers along her route.

The camera showed Hollibush open one of the test mail pieces, a greeting card, and remove $30 cash, Anderson said.

The inspectors pulled over Hollibush and recovered the $30 that Hollibush had put into a cigarette box.

In total, 41 postal customers reported mail tampered with or missing, officials said. Twenty of the victims reported stolen money totaling $1,225. Hollibrush was terminated from the U.S. Postal Service in September 2012 when investigators discovered the theft.

At the sentencing hearing, one of Hollibrush’s victims addressed the court in order to explain the personal impact the mail theft had on her, according to the release. Nancy Schulz lost her only daughter in September 2012. She explained that many of the letters of condolence or sympathy cards that arrived at her home had been opened and resealed, and some cards or letters intended for her that were intercepted by Hollibrush were never delivered.

Schulz told the judge that for her, the real harm was not the loss of any money in the letters or cards, but the loss of not having received some of the kind words from friends or relatives, or comments about her daughter intended to console her, according to the release. Schulz asked that officials release her name, because she was unable to acknowledge or thank all those persons who sent cards because they had been intercepted by Hollibrush.

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