Granite City Mail Carrier Admits to Stealing from USPS Collection Box

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A mail carrier employed by the U.S. Postal Service pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing from a collection box in Granite City.

Phillip E. Tucker, 37, of Madison, pleaded guilty to one count of theft of mail by postal employee.

“Mail carriers are entrusted public servants, and postal workers who steal from collection boxes willingly break that trust. I commend the investigators for holding this defendant accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe.

According to court documents, Tucker stole a Visa gift card from a collection box in Granite City on May 6, 2023. Tucker admitted to using the gift card on several occasions for personal purchases.

Theft of mail by postal employee convictions are punishable by up to 5 years’ imprisonment. Tucker is scheduled for sentencing at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 18.

The USPS Office of the Inspector General led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Howard is prosecuting the case.