2 Postal Contractors in Texas Charged with Stealing $4M in Mail

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With the time of the year that we rely on the post office the most at hand, the news out of Texas this morning is the last thing we want to hear.  Earlier this week, federal prosecutors announced that they were charging 2 employees of a company that works with the U.S. Postal Service in the largest case of mail theft ever recorded in the 100-county Northern District of Texas.

The amount of mail this pair allegedly stole was worth an astounding $4 million

According to the report from KSAT,  22-year-old Joe Roy Rivas III, and 35-year-old Jessica Lynn Solomon have each been indicted by a federal grand jury on a single count of conspiracy to possess stolen mail and eight counts of possession of stolen mail for their alleged scheme to steal and sift through an almost unbelievable amount of letters and packages in order to find cash, checks, and valuables.  Rivas and Solomon worked with a contractor that processed U.S. Postal Service containers of mail to be sent on and received from delivery planes operating out of the Lubbock International Airport.  The pair are accused of pilfering more than 8,000 pieces of mail worth an estimated $4 million.

How could mail be so valuable?  Just look at what they are accused of stealing

Officials are still combing through what they believe Rivas and Solomon nabbed, so the full extent of the crime isn't completely known yet.  According to the report, they have been able to determine that a "$25,728 check made payable to a telecom co-op, a $15,000 check to a consulting group and a $241,186 check to a facilities management and food services company" were among the items reported stolen.  That's almost $400,000 in just 3 envelopes.  When you consider that authorities allege the pair stashed quite a few 55-gallon trash bags full of stolen mail at their residences as they searched for these checks, money orders, presumably cash-filled birthday cards from grandmas, and more valuables - you can see how these alleged thieves racked up so much.

If convicted, these 2 are looking at a lengthy stay in federal prison

I've heard all of my life that tampering with the mail is a federal offense, and it's absolutely true.  To put a finer point on it, if Rivas and Solomon are found guilty on all counts - they are looking at a federal prison sentence of up to 45 years.

As of Tuesday (November 2nd), Joe Roy Rivas III was still locked up in the Lubbock County Jail.  Jessica Lynn Solomon is reportedly free on bond.