A 25-year-old Memphis man who worked at the FedEx Hub has been convicted of obstructing the mail, after jurors found he rifled through U.S. Postal Service packages in search of cash and gift cards. Braylon Butler was found guilty following a three-day trial in federal court, marking a stark breach of trust at one of the nation’s most critical shipping hubs.
Court documents reveal that in 2015, Butler, employed as a box sorter, exploited his access to U.S. mail processed through FedEx’s Memphis facility under a contractual agreement with the U.S. Postal Service. Surveillance footage obtained by FedEx corporate security shows Butler scanning shipping containers, pulling out brightly colored greeting card envelopes—often used to send cash or gift cards—and opening at least one of them while on the job.
The video evidence, pivotal to the prosecution’s case, captured Butler handling, inspecting, and manipulating mail in direct violation of federal law. Investigators noted that the envelopes were clearly marked as U.S. mail, and tampering with them constitutes a felony offense under federal statutes protecting the integrity of the postal system.
“This office takes very seriously our duty to protect the sanctity and security of the United States Postal Service and the U.S. Mail,” said U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee. “We work very closely with the United States Postal Inspection Service to defend the nation’s mail system from theft and obstruction to ensure public trust in the mail. This guilty verdict shows our collective commitment to hold accountable any persons who violate that sanctity and victimize innocent citizens for their own selfish gains.”
Butler now faces up to five years in federal prison. Sentencing is scheduled for August 2, 2019, before United States District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker. No plea deal was reached, and the conviction stands as a rare but serious example of insider abuse within a high-volume mail processing operation.
The investigation was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Annie Christoff and Tony Arvin prosecuted the case on behalf of the federal government, underscoring ongoing efforts to root out corruption and theft targeting the U.S. mail system.
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Key Facts
- State: Tennessee
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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