Demarco Tapplar, Selling Mail Key, Ohio 2023

Demarco Tapplar Pleads Guilty to Selling Mail Key in Cincinnati, Ohio

A former United States Postal Service employee has pleaded guilty to selling a postal key that was used to steal mail from collection boxes in the Cincinnati area.

Demarco Tapplar, 19, of Cincinnati, Ohio, admitted to selling a mail arrow key, which is a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

According to court documents, in 2023, individuals in the Cincinnati area sought to steal cash and checks from U.S. Postal Service collection boxes by illegally obtaining the postal keys to the boxes.

On Jan. 23, 2023, police recovered a stolen postal key. The next day, the perpetrators of the mail theft obtained a new postal key by purchasing one from Tapplar, who was a postal carrier at the time.

Court documents also detail that in August 2022, 10 altered checks were deposited into Tapplar’s bank accounts and in September 2022, a check stolen from the mail was altered to include Tapplar’s name and cashed.

Tapplar was indicted in June 2023 and pleaded guilty on Dec. 4, 2023, before Senior U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott.

The guilty plea marks a significant blow to the individuals involved in the mail theft ring, with Tapplar facing a possible sentence of up to 10 years in prison for selling the mail key.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy S. Mangan, with the support of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).

Tapplar’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.

Demarco Tapplar, Real full name: Demarco Tapplar, Exact criminal charges: Selling a mail arrow key, City and state: Cincinnati, Ohio, Exact date: Dec. 4, 2023, Sentence or outcome: Up to 10 years in prison, Dollar amounts: None

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdoh/pr/postal-carrier-pleads-guilty-selling-mail-key