Sad thing is the USPS probably knew about this for quite some time. They never act on the first theft, the inspectors want to make sure that they have enough to make it "stick". Steve was the first person to train my wife when she started at the PO. Ernie seen him stealing mail that looked like it might be a card of some sorts. By the time Steve got busted, 3 or so years later the Inspectors had him on tape over 40 times stealing things. Butch, they had him on tape close to 50 times stealing things. By the time the retired military brass got caught in Phoenix he had stolen 15k AOL floppies.
Thanks to the USPS having the Employee Assistance Program the smart folks stand a very good chance of getting there job back. If an employee that is stealing goes to EAP prior to getting busted and claims they are a drunk, or perhaps suffer from some form of mental illness, or even just claim they are a kleptomaniac often times they will get there job back...or at the very least not be prosecuted and more than likely not lose their retirement.
Worked with a guy back in NJ that called in a bomb scare....and told them who he was. Mark did this while on the clock, at a local bar at last call. He managed to get up to the personal office as soon as it opened the next day, telling them he was an alcoholic. Did get fired...20 months later he was back on the job, in his same seniority spot. They credited him all the sick/annual leave he would have earned as well as all of his pay.....including the average amount of OT all the folks on his shift had gotten....
