Martin Sagaga Lio Jr, Mail Theft, Nevada 2024

Las Vegas airport worker Martin Sagaga Lio Jr., 27, has been sentenced to 30 months of probation after pleading guilty to stealing 248 items of mail bound for airline cargo at McCarran International Airport. The thefts occurred while Lio was employed by Swissport, the contractor responsible for handling U.S. mail during aircraft loading operations.

Lio, a Las Vegas resident, admitted to rifling through mail trays between December 6, 2015, and February 25, 2016, targeting envelopes that looked like they might contain cash or gift cards. He’d slip the items into his clothing, carry them into employee restrooms, then rip them open on the spot. Once emptied, he tossed the torn envelopes into airport trash cans—where investigators later recovered nearly 250 stolen pieces.

U.S. District Chief Judge Gloria M. Navarro handed down the sentence following Lio’s guilty plea on May 9, 2016, to one count of mail theft. He was originally indicted on March 1, 2016, after a probe by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service uncovered a pattern of theft tied directly to the airport’s cargo mail handling process.

“The defendant abused his position and stole over 200 mail items in search of cash or gift cards for his personal use,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Bogden for the District of Nevada. “Mail theft is a serious crime. Protecting our mail system’s integrity is important for businesses and social communication. We will continue to work with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to ensure criminals are investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent that the law allows.”

The case was investigated by federal postal inspectors and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared L. Grimmer. Authorities say the volume of discarded evidence—recovered from restroom bins—revealed the brazen, repetitive nature of the crime, exposing vulnerabilities in secure mail transport at a major travel hub.

If you suspect your mail has been stolen, contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 and press 3. Complaints can also be filed online at https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/ or by calling 1-800-275-8777.