Man gets probation for stealing cash, gift cards from USPS mail he was transporting | Belleville News-Democrat

A former contracted driver for the United States Postal Service who was caught stealing cash and gift cards last winter was sentenced in federal court Thursday.

Paul S. Miller, who was a highway contracted route driver for USPS for two months, was indicted on federal charges in January after an unnamed postmaster on his route uncovered bins of undelivered mail.

Miller was sentenced Thursday in the U.S. District of Southern Illinois on one count of theft of U.S. mail. He received five years’ probation, of which he will serve the first six months at home. He was also ordered to pay $1,810 in restitution.

Miller’s route transported mail between St. Louis, the Southern District of Illinois — including St. Clair County — and Montgomery County. The postmaster began receiving complaints from patrons about cards containing cash or gift cards that were never delivered.

According to federal documents, the postmaster discovered the mail in a recycling bin behind the post office on Nov. 22, and when clerks at other post offices were told to check their bins, they found the same thing.

Later that day, the postmaster watched Miller throw other mail into a dumpster behind the Hillsboro post office. After searching the dumpster, the postmaster found about 40 pieces of mail that had been rifled through.

In December, postal inspectors gave Miller test mail and again watched him dump tampered mail into a recycling bin at the Witt post office.

When he was told he had been captured on video, Miller admitted to stealing cash and gift cards from the mail.