Ex-US Postal Clerk Charged Over Stolen Money Orders
Bastillepost · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A 44-year-old former counter clerk at the Whitestone Post Office in Queens has been indicted over an alleged scheme to open customer mail, remove money orders and cash them using forged signatures. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said the alleged conduct lasted about 15 months and affected 10 victims, with total losses of US$21,400. Some of the missing payments were meant for rent, homeowners’ association fees and a deposit for a memorial plaque at a victim’s parents’ gravesite. The defendant, Jere Campbell of the Bronx, is due back in court on September 30 and faces 89 counts that could bring a prison term of five to 15 years if convicted
Key Points
- Prosecutors said Campbell worked at the Whitestone Post Office and allegedly entered the mail distribution room to open envelopes arriving at the branch
- She is accused of searching through the contents, taking money orders, discarding some envelopes and resealing others before sending them onward
- The indictment includes charges such as first-degree forgery, identity theft, grand larceny and falsifying business records, according to the Queens district attorney
- One victim bought three US$1,000 money orders at a Bronx post office for rent, but the landlord never received them and they were cashed
- Another victim mailed a US$3,000 money order to Florida for homeowners’ association fees; the envelope arrived, but the money order was gone
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers who use postal channels for rent, fees or other payments, the case is a reminder that insider access can create risks even within trusted public-service systems. It also shows how mail theft can cause immediate hardship when missing funds are tied to essential household payments or family memorial expenses