Dawn Dowling, Stealing from Mail, Missouri 2023

ST. LOUIS – A brazen crime has been uncovered in the Show-Me State. A U.S. Postal Service mail carrier in Moberly, Missouri has been accused of stealing from the mail.

Dawn Dowling, 58, a mail carrier with the U.S. Postal Service, has been federally indicted on one felony count of embezzlement of mail by a Postal Service employee. The indictment accuses Dowling of taking mail from about July 2023 to August 2023, including rebates from the home improvement store Menards that she was supposed to deliver.

The indictment states that Dowling appeared in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty. The charge is punishable by up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Ladendorf is prosecuting the case.

According to the indictment, Dowling's actions were a brazen betrayal of the public's trust. The U.S. Postal Service relies on its employees to deliver the mail safely and securely. By stealing from the mail, Dowling put her own interests ahead of her duties as a public servant.

Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Dowling's next court appearance is scheduled for a later date. The outcome of the case remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the U.S. Postal Service will not tolerate theft from its employees.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmo/pr/postal-employee-accused-stealing-mail