Ardmore Postal Worker Gets 3 Years Probation for Mail Tampering

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – Justin Slate Throneberry, 32, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, will spend the next three years walking a tightrope of federal probation after being sentenced for deliberately messing with the mail. The sentence, handed down today, stems from a case that’s been grinding through the courts since 2014, revealing a disturbing breach of trust within the United States Postal Service.

Throneberry, a former USPS employee, was found guilty of Delay Or Destruction Of Mail By a Postal Employee, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1703. The charge isn’t about lost letters; it’s about a deliberate act of interference with the delivery of someone else’s property, a federal offense taken seriously by the Postal Inspection Service, Office of Inspector General, who led the investigation.

According to court documents, the crime occurred on or about December 19, 2013, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The indictment alleged Throneberry “willfully, knowingly and unlawfully secreted, destroyed, detained and opened a package” that had been entrusted to him while on duty. In plain terms, he didn’t just misplace the mail; he actively interfered with it, potentially impacting whoever was waiting for the contents.

The case, initially indicted in March 2014, saw Throneberry enter a guilty plea in May of the same year. While the details of the package’s contents haven’t been released, the act itself is enough to raise questions about the security of the mail system and the integrity of those entrusted with its operation. Three years probation is the penalty for betraying that trust.

The Honorable Ronald A. White, District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the sentencing hearing in Muskogee. Assistant United States Attorney Chris Wilson successfully prosecuted the case, securing the probationary sentence against Throneberry. This outcome serves as a warning: even seemingly small acts of interference with the mail can have serious consequences.

The Grimy Times will continue to follow federal crime cases in Oklahoma and beyond, exposing the underbelly of criminal activity and holding those responsible accountable. The USPS, while a vital service, is not immune to corruption, and we’ll be watching to ensure the public’s trust isn’t further eroded.