A postal worker found guilty of stealing rebate checks, almost missed his appearance for a criminal charge that was scheduled a few hours after the federal grand jury indicted him, and has claimed that the summons was lost in the mail, as reported by the Associated Press for Yahoo News.
The 29-year veteran of the Iowa postal system, G.R., retired from his position in West Des Moines in June due to pressure after he was caught stealing checks from Menard Inc.
Menard was the check issuing company. G.R. said that the checks had been returned due to outdated customer addresses.
Richard Watkins, a postal spokesman, confirmed that following an interview by an agent with their Office of Inspector General, G.R. submitted his retirement papers.
G.R. claimed that he stole the five checks in question, totaling less than $600, as he felt there would be no harm done because he couldn't locate the customers. Now, since being found guilty, the Norwalk resident realizes his error and said that it was "a mistake, of course."
A taped recording caught G.R. stealing checks, ranging in amounts of $14 to $330 each, sometime between March and June.
G.R. has also claimed that federal authorities failed to notify him that he had been indicted for the theft. His defense attorney, Timothy McCarthy, alleged that the notice of summons must have been lost in the mail.
On October 26 a federal jury charged G.R. with one count of theft by a postal employee. The maximum penalty is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
But G.R. maintains that he knew nothing of the indictment, or when his first appearance for his arraignment was due, until the Associated Press contacted him for a comment. He said, "Nobody has told me anything about it."
The summons, per the U.S. District Court clerk's office in Des Moines, said that the order for G.R. to appear in court was issued on October 26 – but that it was dated September 26 in error.
The office of Magistrate Judge Celeste Bremer told McCarthy that the summons was mailed to G.R. But there are no documents in the clerk's office that prove that the order was actually delivered to G.R.
Had his client been arrested and jailed for his failure to appear due to a mix up in the mail, McCarthy said, "we would have explained that he didn't get" the summons.
The spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office, Kevin VanderSchel, said that he would look into the issue. He declined to give further comment to the Associated Press.
McCarthy, though he was able to move the arraignment slightly later in the day so that he could attend, was shocked to learn of the charge against G.R.
McCarthy said, "We hadn't heard one word. That's crazy."
At the hearing G.R. pleaded not guilty and a trial has been set for January 3.
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