Postal Employee Charged With Obstruction Of The Mail

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a United States Post Office Employee has been charged with obstruction of the mail.

According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, Bruce J. Kizer, age 37, of Taylor, Pennsylvania, is charged in a Criminal Information filed on October 9, 2015 in the United States District Court in Scranton with Obstruction of Mail.  The charge is based upon Kizer’s alleged conduct involving theft of United States currency contained in greeting cards entrusted to him for delivery to customers on his mail route in Scranton.  The amount of loss is approximately $500.  The thefts are alleged to have occurred from May through June 2014.

Kizer has resigned from his employment with the United States Post Office.

Kizer is scheduled for his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph F. Saporito, Jr. on October 29, 2015 in Wilkes-Barre.

The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General.  The defendant is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Olshefski.

Criminal Informations are only allegations.  All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.  A sentence following a finding of guilty is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing guidelines.

In this case, the maximum penalty under federal law is 6 months imprisonment and a $5,000 fine.  Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational and medical needs.  For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

# # #