A Wisconsin postal worker pleaded guilty to stealing money from thousands of cards over the past year-and-a-half. The FBI said they found over 6,000 opened envelopes in the car of 20-year-old Ebony Lavonne Smith. An investigation was launched last summer after residents complained they were not receiving cards in the mail.
In July, authorities received a tip from an auto salvage yard that they had found a bag containing over 6,000 discarded greeting cards inside of a car they were about to scrap. Along with the stolen cards and checks, police discovered multiple letters addressed to Smith.
In order to catch Smith, authorities set up a sting operation. On January 25, they placed a birthday card with a $20 bill inside of her delivery bin. The card also contained a transmitter that would send a signal when it was opened.
That same day, Smith was observed by a supervisor rifling through other bins and pulling out any card that might contain money. She then took all the cards, dumped them into her bin, got into her truck and started delivering the mail on her regular route.
When she opened the bugged envelope, authorities swarmed her position and took her into custody. Inside of her vehicle, police found dozens of envelopes that were never delivered.
She admitted to stealing cards once or twice a week and claimed she did it to pay her bills and take care of her children. She told police that she would even use tape to reseal the envelopes and deliver the cards without the cash inside.
Smith pleaded guilty to theft or receipt of stolen mail and will be sentenced at a later date.
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