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SALT LAKE CITY — A federal jury convicted a Salt Lake City woman and former postal worker Wednesday for delaying and destroying immigration mail.
During her time working the night shift as an express mail clerk at the USPS Processing and Delivery Center in Salt Lake City, Diana K. Molyneux was responsible for sorting and processing express and priority mail. After immigration mail from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services went missing in the fall of 2017, Molyneux's coworkers reported to supervisors that they found the mail in places it wasn't supposed to be, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release.
Some of the mailers were tampered with or sent to be shredded, according to the statement. These reports led to a criminal investigation.
Camera footage between April and June 2018 showed Molyneux digging through pre-sorted mail, then taking out and setting aside priority immigration mail, according to federal prosecutors. The mail was never put back in its proper place, investigators said. During further surveillance, federal agents witnessed Molyneux repeatedly removing mail and burying six pieces of priority immigration mail in a shred bin. Shred bins are typically used to destroy and recycle undeliverable bulk mail.
After Molyneux was caught, the USPS suspended her from her position and placed her on unpaid leave, according to the release. As soon as she was suspended, the center stopped receiving complaints about lost immigration mail.
"Ms. Molyneux used her position as a U.S. Postal employee to interfere with the delivery of mail. The fact that she targeted immigration mail makes this offense more egregious," U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah, said in the release. "We will continue to work with law enforcement to investigate and prosecute cases where public servants abuse their position to discriminate and cause harm to our community."
Molyneux's sentencing before a U.S. District Court Judge is scheduled for Aug. 1 at the Orrin G. Hatch U.S. District Courthouse.
"This successful resolution of this case not only confirms that mail theft committed by Postal Service personnel is completely unacceptable, but it also demonstrates the steadfast commitment of U.S. Postal Service-Office of Inspector General Special Agents in maintaining the integrity of the U.S. Postal Service," said Kenneth Bulle, an acting executive special agent-in-charge with the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General.
