Rochester woman pleads guilty to stealing mail while working as mail carrier

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A Rochester woman has pleaded guilty to stealing mail while working as a mail carrier.

Federal attorneys say 40-year-old Marlene Cruz frequently opened envelopes and boxes. They say she removed items including ticket stubs, documents, cash, lottery tickets, and gift cards dozens of times between January 2022 and last November.

The U.S. Postal Service began investigating after people complained about their mail being tampered with in late 2021. They determined that Cruz worked on the mail route that reported the complaints.

Last May and November, investigators placed greeting cards with cash and gift cards in the mail that Cruz was delivering. At the end of her shift, investigators detained her and searched her belongings. According to attorneys, the investigators found a matching gift card in Cruz’s personal duffle bag.

Cruz will be sentenced on May 9. She faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.