Brandon Wilson, Delay or Destruction of Mail, New York 2020

A shocking case of mail tampering has rocked the city of Buffalo, New York, as Brandon Wilson, 27, has been arrested and charged with delay or destruction of mail. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

According to the complaint, on November 3, 2020, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers encountered Wilson at the Peace Bridge Port of Entry. As part of a standard CBP vehicle sweep, Wilson opened the trunk of his vehicle, revealing a USPS mail bin containing numerous mail pieces. A USPS identification badge with Wilson’s name was also found in the vehicle.

When questioned by CBP officers, Wilson claimed the mail belonged to him and his mother, but could not account for additional names printed on the mail pieces. He stated that he had intended to deliver the mail and had forgotten to return the mail pieces to the post office.

A subsequent inventory of the recovered mail pieces revealed three absentee ballots sent to two Buffalo, NY, addresses from the Erie County, NY Board of Elections, 106 political mailings, 220 first-class mailings, and 484 standard mailings for an approximate total of 813 mail pieces. The first-class letter mailings were destined for zip codes 14227, 14211, 14214, with the majority destined for 14215.

The United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, was called to retrieve the recovered mail pieces, and the case is the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kenneth Cleevely, Eastern Area Field Office, Pittsburgh, PA, and Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations, Rose Brophy.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Contact: Barbara Burns, (716) 843-5817, (716) 551-3051.

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