Sterling Mail Carrier Tayson Hidalgo Sentenced for Delay and Destruction of Mail

DENVER – Tayson Adam Hidalgo, age 23, of Sterling, Colorado, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge R. Brooke Jackson to serve 2 years’ probation during which he is to spend 200 hours doing community service for delay or destruction of the mail. Hidalgo was also ordered to pay restitution of $1,506.76 to the victims of his crime. The sentence was handed down today, Tuesday, April 11, 2017.

According to court records, between October 3, 2014 and April 21, 2016, the defendant, a U.S. Postal Service officer and employee did unlawfully secret, destroy, detain, delay and open letters, post cards, packages, bags and mail entrusted to him and which came into his possession with the intention that he or any carrier deliver the mail to intended recipients.

During the course of this case, the United States Attorney’s Office, working closely with the U.S. Postal Service and the U.S. Postal Inspector, returned over 26,000 pieces of undelivered mail that was located during this investigation. The recovered mail was addressed to residents within the city limits of Sterling, Colorado and several local postal routes in Fort Morgan, Colorado.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General and the Sterling Police Department. The defendant was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason St. Julien.