Postal Carrier Sentenced to 10 Months in Prison for Delivering Marijuana Packages to Drug Dealers

PHILADELPHIA — Felicia Charleston, 36, of Philadelphia, was sentenced on May 16 to 10 months in federal prison for using her position as a postal carrier to deliver packages containing marijuana to drug dealers in West Philadelphia, announced United States Attorney William M. McSwain. Charleston was sentenced by U.S. District Judge R. Barclay Surrick.

Charleston pled guilty to two separate indictments, both charging her with conspiracy to distribute at least 1,000 kilograms of marijuana, as well as one count of attempted possession with the intent to distribute 158 pounds of marijuana.

“The defendant exploited her position with the United States Postal Service by conspiring with drug dealers in order to line her own pockets,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Her prison sentence is a reflection of the seriousness of her crimes.”

Charleston was a postal carrier at the West Market Post Office in Philadelphia and was responsible for delivering packages to addresses in West Philadelphia.  As charged in this case, Charleston agreed to divert postal packages containing marijuana (which listed fictitious delivery addresses) and deliver them to drug dealers. Specifically, Charleston left her postal route in order to deliver the packages to two drug organizations. For one drug organization, Charleston delivered packages to members outside of 48 N. Hobart Street in West Philadelphia and even carried packages inside the residence. Charleston also routed packages to another drug dealer by hand-delivering the packages at various locations in West Philadelphia.

“The vast majority of the Postal Service’s 600,000 employees nationwide are dedicated, hard-working individuals worthy of America’s trust," said Monica Weyler, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge, Philadelphia.  "However, a very small number of them choose to violate that trust by engaging in misconduct or criminal activity. Special agents with the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General work with other law enforcement agencies to find those employees, investigate them, and seek their criminal prosecution and removal from the Postal Service, as we did in this case. To report criminal activity or serious misconduct by postal employees, contact USPS OIG special agents at 888-USPS-OIG or www.uspsoig.gov.”

The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Border Enforcement Security Taskforce (BEST), and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Narcotics Investigations (BNI) and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anita Eve and Tomika N.S. Patterson.