Post Office Wants Its "Stuff" Back

Columnist Ed O'Keefe on the Washington Post's "Federal Eye" webpage reports the U.S. Postal Service  is giving customers two weeks to return stolen pens, tape guns, letter trays, mail tubs and pallets - or else!

According to O'Keefe, "USPS spent nearly $50 million last year replacing equipment that was stolen or inadvertently taken and never returned by customers."

"Postal inspectors have recovered more than 200,000 pieces of equipment worth more than $4 million since 2008," O'Keefe  says. He also points out, "It is a federal crime to steal postal equipment and can lead to up to three years in prison or up to $250,000 in fines."

He goes on to say, "According to postal inspectors, one of the worst offenders was a Georgia man who worked for a major mailer and was arrested for stealing and selling almost 10,000 Postal Service pallets to a pallet supply company. The company in turn provided USPS’s equipment to a freight company shipping to South America. The man paid $10,129 in restitution to USPS."

To read the the entire article, click here.