Former U.S. Postal Employee Sentenced for Conspiracy Involving Bribery and Mail Theft

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge sentenced a former U.S. Postal employee for her role in a conspiracy involving bribery and mail theft, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and U.S. Postal Inspection Service Inspector-in-Charge Scott D. Fix, Houston Division.

U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco sentenced Shantee Renee Townes, 41, of Fairfield, to 24 months in prison.  In April, Townes pleaded guilty to a conspiracy involving bribery and mail theft and also to accepting a bribe.

“The defendant used her position of trust for personal gain,”  U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “My office is committed to working with our federal, state, and local partners to investigate and prosecute individuals who betray the public’s trust.”

“Shantee Townes betrayed the trust the American public placed in her as a USPS employee when she decided to assist others in the theft of US Mail,” said Scott Fix, Inspector in Charge for the Houston Division of the US Postal Inspection Service. “This sentence demonstrates the consequences for individuals, especially those in positions of trust, who engage in this type of criminal activity.”

According to the plea agreement, between April 2021 and August 2022, Townes was employed by the United States Postal Service as a sales and services/distribution clerk and was assigned to the East Lake Roebuck Post Office. She used her position to steal checks from the mail stream and sold photographs of them to Derrell Matthews.  Matthews paid Townes over $6,000 for the photographs of the stolen checks.   The total value of the checks photographed and sent to Matthews exceeded $1,500,000. 

Derrell Allen Matthews, 27, of Birmingham has been sentenced 63 months in prison for his role in this case and in an unrelated case.  A press release related to Matthews was issued on July 1, 2024.

USPIS investigated the case, along with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel McBrayer prosecuted the case.