A former Fall River mail carrier found himself in federal court for diverting mail packages destined for other people's homes. Rafael De Los Angeles, 43, was sentenced to a day already served and six months of supervised release after pleading guilty to five counts of mail obstruction on Monday, as the U.S. Attorney’s Office confirmed.
De Los Angeles's mail meddling occurred in August 2017, where on five different instances, he intercepted packages he was entrusted to deliver, driving them to unauthorized locations, and then faking the delivery statuses successfully he scanned them as delivered to their rightful addresses all before removing the labels and passing the goods onto others—not the intended recipients. Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Matthew Modafferi, the Special Agent in Charge of the USPS Office of Inspector General's Northeast Area Office, addressed the sentencing.
Justice was meted by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani who saw fit to apply a lighter sentence to De Los Angeles, marking the conclusion of a case that began with a breach of trust inherent to the duties of a USPS employee. The prosecution put forth by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kunal Pasricha and Luke Goldworm highlighted the serious nature of tampering with mail, a federal offense.
While the sentence may appear lenient to some, it marks a point of accountability for the actions taken by De Los Angeles, ending a chapter for the individuals whose packages were diverted from their expectant hands this case underscores the importance of integrity within the mailing system, which millions rely on for the secure and reliable delivery of their communications and goods, the prosecution's effort not only serving as a punitive measure, but a reminder to all in the postal service of their duties and obligations.
