Postal Employee Charged with Opening Greeting Cards

PITTSBURGH - A resident of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of opening mail matter by postal service employee, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.

The one-count indictment, returned on July 18, named Andrew J. Dickey, 24, of Sewickley, PA, as the sole defendant.

According to the information presented to the court, Dickey engaged in the rifling of first class letters and their valuable contents from the U.S. mails. Specifically, the indictment alleges that on or about October 23, 2015, Dickey, being an employee of the United States Postal Service, did detain, delay, and open three greeting card type letters (pink, blue and red colored envelopes), which had been entrusted to him and had come into his possession intended to be conveyed by mail.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Paul E. Hull is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The U.S. Postal Service-Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.