On June 14, Josefina Salas, 66, of the Bronx, New York, pled guilty to one misdemeanor count of obstructing the passage of the mail pursuant to a plea agreement with the government. She faces a maximum sentence of 6 months in prison, up to $5,000 in fines, and possible restitution.
According to the criminal complaint, Salas worked as an elevator operator at the U.S. Postal Service Processing and Distribution Center at 341 Ninth Avenue in Manhattan. She has been employed by the USPS since 1999. Salas’ annual salary was $58,252 according to data from FedsDataCenter.com.
Salas was arrested at the end of her shift on the morning of Tuesday, December 19, 2017, less than a week before Christmas. She had over 100 pieces of mail in her possession at the time of her arrest including 116 unopened greeting cards and both opened and unopened packages.
During an interview with USPS agents, Salas admitted that she stole from the mail every day she worked over the prior year. She stole cash, gift cards, jewelry, clothing, and a cellphone, among other things.
The evidence against Salas includes surveillance footage that shows her rifling through mail and stealing the contents of envelopes and packages on at least three separate occasions during the 2017 holiday season. For example, footage from November 24, 2017 shows her removing cash from an envelope and placing it in her pocket.
Salas is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel Gorenstein on October 1. She is out on bail pending sentencing.
Update: Salas was sentenced on October 1.