33 U.S. postal employees charged of stealing, amassing mails

A total of 33 U.S. postal employees in Southern California were charged in 28 cases for stealing, amassing mails and other illegal activities, according to a statement released by the U.S. attorney's office of the Central District of California.

Among the 33 defendants, arrest warrants were issued for six, according to the statement released Friday.

The large scale of mail theft and related crimes in Southern California was found as part of a sweep targeting corruption and criminal activity affecting the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), the U.S. attorney's office of the Central District of California said.

The 33 defendants ranged in age from 23 to 73, and most cases involved Postal Service employees, the attorney's office said. Some of cases make people dumbfounded.

In one case, the 33-year-old defendant, Jarol Garcia, a former mail handler who previously served as local area president of the Mail Handlers Union, stole at least 166 mobile phones from packages going through the Moreno Valley Delivery Distribution Center, where he worked. Garcia would then trade the phones on a website, according to an indictment.

In another case, 48-year-old postal carrier Sherry Naomi Watanabe is charged with delaying the mail after investigators found "approximately 48,288 pieces" of mail stashed in her Los Angeles-area home, according to a plea agreement.

Among them, a 25-year-old USPS mail processing clerk, Justin Brewster, is accused of stealing video games that were mailed to or from a video game rental service.

Several defendants were charged with mail theft or with dumping mail altogether.

"The mail system plays an important role in our country's commerce and social communication," U.S. Attorney Eileen Decker said in a statement. "Maintaining its integrity is vital. As a result, we are stepping up enforcement activities, including dealing aggressively with corruption within the Postal Service."

Decker noted that mail theft, which has increased significantly across Southern California recently, is a precursor to other crimes such as identity theft and drug offenses.

In response to the postal service scandal, a USPS spokesman told media that "the criminal charges filed against these Postal Service employees are very concerning."

The USPS spokesman refused to comment on the specific cases because some were under investigation and said that the overwhelming majority of employees "are honest, hard-working and trustworthy individuals who would never engage in criminal behavior."

The USPS is an independent agency and an establishment of the executive branch of the U.S. government.

For years, the postal service builds an image of responsible and honest. However, under the impact of the increasing use of email and the Internet for correspondence and business transactions, USPS suffered operating losses in recent 15 years. Endit