Maine Postal Carrier Admits He Stole From People’s Greeting Cards

A Maine Postal Carrier has admitted in court that he opened greeting cards and stole the money they contained.

South Berwick Postal Carrier Was Accused of Mail Theft

Russell Joaquin, 48, of South Berwick was in a Portland courtroom on Tuesday, facing charges of mail theft by a postal carrier.

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People in Two Communities Started Noticing They Were Not Getting All Their Mail

We've all heard warnings about leaving checks and greeting cards in your mailbox because thieves can come along and steal them. I don't think most of us would ever expect that the thief is the person delivering the mail. But that's what happened in 2023 in South Berwick and Eliot where Russell Joaquin was a postal carrier who became the subject of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General and the Berwick Police Department. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Maine, he opened and stole the contents of greeting cards that were meant to be delivered on his route. Joaquin admitted to investigators that he stole the greeting cards and their contents between January and May 2023.

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Joaquin Could Face Several Years in Prison

After pleading guilty to the charges of mail theft by a postal carrier, Joaquin faces up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced at a later date.