RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A former U.S. Postal Service (USPS) carrier in Richmond has pleaded guilty to stealing mail.
On Thursday, Feb. 29, former USPS postal carrier Wendy Lawrence, 40, pleaded guilty to mail theft. According to court documents, Lawrence stole mail, removing gift cards, checks and other items of value for her own use.
According to the Department of Justice, law enforcement recovered stolen mail from Lawrence’s home belonging to more than 180 victims, as well as recovered checks she forged for her own benefit in the name of at least 30 other individuals.
After stealing checks from the mail, Lawrence used the bank account and routing information on those checks to initiate electronic payments, which she used for expenses such as her tax bill, pest control bill and rent.
According to the Department of Justice, on at least one occasion, Lawrence initiated a fraudulent address change with the USPS on behalf of a victim, rerouting the victim’s mail to her address to prolong and conceal the fraud scheme.
Lawrence faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, according to the department.
