A former Houston postal worker has entered a guilty plea for the crime of stealing from the mail, including cash and gift cards, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. The employee, identified as 35-year-old Laura Aguirre, was a postal clerk who had the responsibility to, ironically, ensure the safe dispatch of people's mail for delivery starting from January 31 through February 6, 2023.
The investigation, led by the U.S. Postal Service-Office of Inspector General, found that Aguirre had indeed opened several parcels and letters that were to be delivered by her hands. She managed to straightforwardly take at least $2,500 before her actions caught up to her. Following the unveiling of her misdeeds, she was promptly terminated from her role and has been charged with theft of mail by an employee of the postal service, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.
Facing the consequences of her actions, Aguirre appeared before U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein Jr., who accepted her guilty plea. The former postal clerk now awaits her sentencing, scheduled for November 1. She could potentially receive up to five years in federal prison and be slapped with a maximum fine of $250,000, a sum vastly dwarfing the haul of her admitted thefts.
Despite the severity of the charges, Aguirre has been allowed to remain on bond until the sentencing hearing later this year. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Chu will be prosecuting the case, ensuring that the ramifications of Aguirre's actions are to be fully examined and judged in the court of law.
