Willie Estrella, Mail Theft, Rhode Island 2023

A brazen scheme to steal the contents of U.S. mail has come to an end in Rhode Island, with a seasonal postal employee facing the consequences. Willie Estrella, 32, of Providence, was sentenced to three years of federal probation for his role in the scheme, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

Estrella, who had been on the job for just one month during the 2023 holiday season, pleaded guilty in November 2024 to conspiracy to steal mail and theft of mail by a postal employee. According to court documents and information presented to the court, Estrella and others sorted through the mail at the Providence distribution facility and placed aside brightly colored envelopes of interest. They concealed the stolen mail in their backpacks that they carried from the postal facility.

Estrella and his co-conspirators met at a pre-determined location after work to open the stolen mail and remove cash, gift cards, and checks. They divided the proceeds among themselves, netting $95,000 in cash, gift cards, and checks that were illegally removed from the U.S. mail stream during December 2023. This brazen scheme occurred multiple times per week.

Charges are pending in U.S. District court against five other former postal employees who are believed to have been involved in the scheme. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie M. White.

The matter was investigated by the U.S Postal Service Office of Inspector General, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Providence Police Department, and Smithfield Police Department. The public can report mail theft by contacting the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General hotline at 1-888-USPS-OIG (1-888-877-7644; online at www.uspsoig.gov/hotline; via email at Hotline@uspsoig.gov; or by mail at USPS OIG, Attn: OIG Hotline, 1735 North Lynn Street, Arlington, VA 22209-2020.

Estrella's sentencing comes as a warning to those who would seek to exploit the trust placed in postal employees. 'This scheme is a betrayal of the public's trust and a reminder that postal employees are not above the law,' said Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. 'We will continue to work tirelessly to investigate and prosecute those who seek to steal from the mail.'

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General are committed to protecting the public and the mail. If you have any information about mail theft or other crimes, please contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 or visit their website at postalinspectors.uspis.gov.

Willie Estrella, 32, of Providence, Rhode Island, was sentenced to three years of federal probation for conspiracy to steal mail and theft of mail by a postal employee. The charges stem from a scheme in which Estrella and others stole mail from the Providence distribution facility. During December 2023, $95,000 in cash, gift cards, and checks were stolen from the U.S. mail stream.

The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie M. White. The matter was investigated by the U.S Postal Service Office of Inspector General, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Providence Police Department, and Smithfield Police Department.

The public can report mail theft by contacting the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General hotline at 1-888-USPS-OIG (1-888-877-7644; online at www.uspsoig.gov/hotline; via email at Hotline@uspsoig.gov; or by mail at USPS OIG, Attn: OIG Hotline, 1735 North Lynn Street, Arlington, VA 22209-2020.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ri/pr/seasonal-postal-employee-sentenced-stealing-mail