PONTE VEDRA, Fla. — A Ponte Vedra Beach contract postal carrier has pleaded guilty to opening mail that contained cash or gift cards, and disposing of the cards in the trash.
United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced Wednesday that 26-year-old Kori Ann Moreno has pleaded guilty to theft of mail.
Moreno faces up to five years in prison and payment of restitution to the victims in the case. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Moreno was arrested on November 29, 2022, by the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) and subsequently released on a bond.
According to court documents, in 2020, Moreno began working as a highway contract carrier delivering U.S. Mail on multiple highway contract routes (HCRs), primarily in the area of Ponte Vedra Beach.
The court document stated that in July 2022, the USPS-OIG received multiple complaints regarding a high volume of stolen and undelivered mail on various HCRs handled by Moreno.
On July 13, 2022, the USPS-OIG put a greeting card containing two $20 bills in a mail depository for outgoing U.S. Mail at a condominium complex on one of Moreno’s HCRs in Ponte Vedra Beach.
Later that morning, while Moreno was processing mail at the condominium complex, USPS-OIG agents determined that Moreno had opened the greeting card.
Agents who were in the area approached Moreno and located the greeting card which had been opened and was missing the cash. Moreno subsequently handed the missing money over to the agents.
During an on-scene search of Moreno’s car and personal belongings, agents located mail and gift cards that had been stolen out of the mail.
During an interview with agents, Moreno stated in substance that since around December 2021 she had been opening mail – two to three letters a day. If the mail contained cash and/or gift cards, she would steal the contents and throw the cards in the trash. She was unsure how much money she obtained through her theft of mail.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
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