American flag burned at Hillsboro, Alabama post office

By Alyssa Martin – July 26, 2016 An American flag, lit on fire and burned in broad daylight. Now investigators are looking for who did it and residents are left stunned. It happened in Hillsboro at the post office last Wednesday. “I think it’s pretty bad that someone would stoop to that level,” said a…

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Former postal inspector to serve 3 years for possessing stolen mail, marijuana trafficking

By Jason Green – January 27, 2016 SAN JOSE — A once-heralded postal inspector was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison for possessing stolen U.S. mail, including a gun silencer and a silver bar, and marijuana trafficking, federal prosecutors said. Quan Pham Howard, 53, of Saratoga, is expected to begin serving his sentence on…

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Tampa postal inspector admits to stealing money orders from mail

By Patty Ryan – December 16, 2015 TAMPA — Postal inspectors are the cops of the U.S. Postal Service, protecting carriers and ensuring trust in the mail. They’re usually the ones pointing out wrongdoing, sometimes testifying at criminal trials. But a Tampa postal inspector resigned in disgrace in July and admits to embezzling $5,000 in…

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Video: Missing cluster mailbox in South Austin has USPS shocked

By Kris Betts – September 10, 2015 AUSTIN — Homeowners in a South Austin neighborhood as well as employees at the United States Postal Service are left scratching their heads after a group mailbox disappeared entirely overnight. The mailbox serves close to three dozen homes in the Central Park neighborhood off Stassney Lane. Neighbors believe…

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Postal inspector pleads guilty to stealing Playboys, pills

By Henry K. Lee – July 22, 2015 A U.S. supervisory postal inspector once named a federal employee of the year pleaded guilty Wednesday to stealing mail containing prescription pills, jewelry, passports, collectible Playboy magazines and other items in San Jose. Quan Howard, 53, of Saratoga also pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in San…

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USPS: Altered money orders – Raised amounts appearing at Post Offices

Retail employees should watch out for potential money order scams involving “raising” the purchase amounts. If a customer purchases multiple low-dollar amount money orders, such as 10 money orders for $1 each, the employee should complete the transaction but immediately notify the station manager after the purchase. Employees should never confront a customer about suspected…

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Postal CSI: Preventing crime by mail

WASHINGTON (WUSA9)– Any time the United States mail is used to commit a crime, you can bet the investigators at the National Forensic Lab of the US Postal Inspection Service are analyzing critical evidence. Latent Print Analyst Stephanie Toth offered a demonstration. “This is an Ab Roller box that we got in. They foamed the…

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Postal Inspectors investigate skimmers, won’t provide details

St. Petersburg, Florida – 10 News has been warning customers for years about skimming devices attached to bank ATMs and gas station pumps. But we are now learning about a potential issue with stamp kiosks located at postal offices across the country. The issue was first reported by the website, krebsonsecurity.com, the very same online…

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