FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 2, 2009
WWW.USDOJ.GOV/USAO/MA
CONTACT: CHRISTINA DiIORIO-STERLING
PHONE: (617)748-3356
E-MAIL: USAMA.MEDIA@USDOJ.GOV
CARGO HANDLER AT LOGAN GUILTY OF
OBSTRUCTION OF U.S. MAIL
Boston, MA... A cargo handler employed at Logan Airport by Air General Incorporated was convicted today in federal court of obstruction of correspondence in connection with the U.S. mail.
Acting United States Attorney Michael K. Loucks and Robert Malaby, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in New England, announced today that ANDRES LAINEZ, age 48, of 176 Chelsea Street, Apt. #1, East Boston, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty on September 1, 2009 before U.S. District Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to one count of obstruction of correspondence in connection with the U.S. mail.
At the plea hearing, the prosecutor told the Court that, had the case proceeded to trial, the evidence would have proven that in December 2007, Postal Inspectors began receiving reports
of rifled mail being discovered at various Postal Service facilities throughout the United States including Boston, MA. Further investigation revealed that the recovered rifled mail was all handled at Logan International Airport by employees of Air General Incorporated (“AGI”), 122 South Harborside Drive, East Boston, MA 02128. AGI is a cargo handling company which contracts with various airlines operating out of Logan International Airport. AGI receives mail delivered by the U.S. Postal Service to another contractor for sorting. The mail is then returned to AGI for further sorting and delivery to the appropriate flights.
On January 10, 2008, the U.S. Postal Service received a customer complaint that a parcel containing a Target gift card had arrived at its destination with the card missing. It was learned that a phone call to “check” the balance on the Target gift card originated from a phone number at LAINEZ’s residence.
In February of 2008, Postal Inspectors at Logan observed LAINEZ place two large yellow Priority Mail bags into a cargo container and close the container’s tarp-like side curtain. LAINEZ then climbed into the container, where he remained, with the curtain drawn shut, or almost shut, for approximately twenty-one minutes. Postal Inspectors retrieved the two yellow Priority Mail bags and noted that 35 pieces of mail were damaged and rifled. LAINEZ later admitted that he had sliced open mail from both yellow bags that day, and gave a ring from one of the yellow bags to a co-worker.
U.S. District Judge Woodlock scheduled LAINEZ’s sentencing for November 24, 2009.
LAINEZ faces up to 5 years' imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the Inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service . It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Antoinette E.M. Leoney in Louck’s Major Crimes Unit.
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