Postal Carrier Gary Collins Pleads Guilty to Mail Tampering

Former North Carolina postal carrier Gary Wayne Collins, 53, of Forest City, N.C., stood before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dennis Howell on February 21, 2017, where he admitted to detaining and delaying U.S. mail in Cleveland and Rutherford Counties. The grim revelations were announced by Jill Westmoreland Rose, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Collins’ crime spree came to light when a witness spotted him placing several tubs of mail behind a Shelby, N.C., dumpster on April 15, 2014. The recovered tubs contained deliverable mail from Collins’ delivery route. Postal agents later discovered over 1,800 pieces of undelivered mail in Collins’ residence and vehicle, some dating back to 2000. A staggering two truckloads of mail were unearthed in a partially-collapsed outbuilding on his property, rendering it unusable due to weather damage.

Collins confessed that for approximately ten years he had been bringing unsorted mail to his home, delaying its delivery. The court records indicate that Collins claimed no intention to dump any mail but admitted leaving the tubs near the dumpster temporarily, only to return later. His plea hearing revealed a long-standing pattern of mail mismanagement.

Collins pleaded guilty to one count of unlawfully destroying, detaining and delaying U.S. mail, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He was released on bond, with no sentencing date set as yet. The investigation leading to Collins’ downfall was spearheaded by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG), with Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Edwards of the Asheville office handling the prosecution.

This case is a stark reminder of the integrity breaches that can occur within public service positions, and it underscores the commitment to justice by law enforcement agencies dedicated to upholding postal regulations and mail delivery protocols.