Alonzo Gallegos, Destruction of Mail, New Mexico

A former U.S. Postal Service employee has admitted to sabotaging the mail system he was sworn to protect. Alonzo Gallegos, 33, of Pena Blanca, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque to a misdemeanor charge of destruction of mail, a breach of public trust that exposed vulnerabilities in one of the nation’s most relied-upon delivery services.

Gallegos was charged via misdemeanor information on Nov. 30, 2016, with unlawfully delaying and destroying mail during his tenure as a USPS officer. The criminal act occurred between Sept. 24, 2016, and Sept. 27, 2016, in Santa Fe County, N.M., where he handled and distributed mail along his assigned route.

During today’s court proceedings, Gallegos admitted under oath that he intentionally delayed or destroyed mail and newspapers over the four-day span. The nature of the destroyed items has not been fully detailed, but the act itself constitutes a federal offense, undermining the integrity of the postal system and the public’s reliance on it.

As punishment, U.S. District Court judges handed down a sentence of six months of probation and slapped Gallegos with a $250 fine. No jail time was imposed, but the conviction leaves a permanent mark on his record and disqualifies him from future federal employment involving public trust.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service led the investigation, tracing inconsistencies in delivery logs and witness statements that pointed directly to Gallegos. Their probe confirmed deliberate interference, not mere negligence, elevating the matter from internal discipline to criminal prosecution.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Eva M. Fontanez prosecuted the case, emphasizing that even low-level tampering with federal mail carries consequences. ‘The postal system runs on trust,’ Fontanez said in a brief statement. ‘When an employee violates that trust, we respond with accountability.’