NEWS RELEASE
OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS
STEPHEN R. WIGGINTON UNITED STATES ATTORNEY
Nine Executive Drive, Fairview Heights, Illinois 62208 402 West Main Street, Benton, Illinois 62812
| For Immediate Release | Public Information Officer | |
| November 16, 2010 | FAUSA Randy G. M assey | |
| (618) 628-3700 | ||
| MT. VERNON WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO THEFT FROM MAIL | ||
Stephen R. Wiggonton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on November 16, 2010, JO LYNN MAYBERRY, age 52, Mt. Vernon, IL , plead guilty to stealing and wrongfully removing with the intent to convert to her own use, the contents of a mail package which came into her possession for the purpose of being delivered by her as an employee of the Postal Service. She faces a maximum potential sentence of five years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and not more than three years of supervised release following any period of imprisonment.
According to information contained in the stipulation of facts filed with the Court at the time of the plea, MAYBERRY was a Postal Service letter carrier in charge of delivering mail to Postal Service customers residing in Jefferson County, Illinois. Postal Service Inspectors began their investigation after receiving complaints from customers on her route that they had not received mail which had been mailed to them. Inspectors observed her open a letter and take the contents, $40 which had been placed in the envelope and mailed by postal inspectors. When confronted, she admitted to postal inspectors that she opened the piece of mail that inspectors observed her open and took the contents. She also admitted to opening numerous letters over the past year and keeping the contents. There were several other letters found in her vehicle which had also been opened. Everything was recovered which had been removed from the mail found in her vehicle and it was forwarded on. When questioned, the defendant admitted to Postal Service agents that as a rural letter carrier she had opened numerous other letters and kept for herself or discarded the contents rather than deliver them to the Postal Service customers.
Sentencing in the case is currently scheduled for March 11, 2011, at 10 a.m., in United States District Court at Benton, IL. MAYBERRY remains free on bond pending sentencing.
The United States Postal Service investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Michael C. Carr is handling the prosecution.
