Clerk facing theft charge for reportedly taking postal transaction cash

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

A 49-year-old postal employee has been charged with theft in connection with a series of incidents in which she allegedly took money from a cash drawer at the Greencastle Post Office.

Dawnell Stewart of Bainbridge, a 19-1/2-year post office employee, is facing a Class D felony charge, punishable by six months to three years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

She has entered a not-guilty plea in an initial appearance before Judge Matthew Headley in Putnam Circuit Court.

According to court documents, the alleged thefts occurred during the period Oct. 1, 2012 to March 1, 2013.

As part of a postal investigation, on both Oct. 11 and Oct. 16, 2012, United States Postal Service (USPS) Special Agent Michelle Henderson was sent to the Greencastle Post Office to buy a roll of "forever" stamps from Stewart, at a total of $45 per purchase.

Subsequently reviewing transaction reports from that timeframe, USPS Special Agent Andrew T. Setmeyer observed a "no sale" transaction during the time of Henderson's corresponding purchases, indicating Stewart had failed to record either postage sale.

That sparked the installation of technical equipment, including surveillance cameras and a digital video recorder, set up at the Greencastle Post Office.

In reviewing the ensuing surveillance video during the period Jan. 30-Feb. 13, 2013, the postal inspectors noted that "observations made of Stewart ... at or near the end of her tour (show her) placing what appears to be cash in her pants pocket."

Stewart was reportedly "observed mishandling customer transactions and/or USPS funds on approximately nine occasions during the time period reviewed," court documents note.

Investigators explained that "by underreporting postage sales transactions, Stewart reduced the amount of cash the POS system recognized as necessary for her to remit as the daily deposit, thus creating an overage of cash in her cash drawer."

Postal investigators met with Stewart on Aug. 20, at which time she admitted taking some funds from her retail drawer, noting that she had taken $5 for lunch but put the money back later in the day.

Court documents also noted that she advised taking $20 to $40 to pay a bill but would put the money back by scanning a roll of stamps as sold and then placing money in her retail drawer, moving the money to her pocket when she did her close-out for the day.

She told investigators she recalled taking money for the first time during Christmas 2012, advising that it was not an everyday occurrence. She reported using the money to pay for bills, groceries and gasoline, court documents state.

Stewart admitted she has taken approximately $1,000 from the USPS and believes she has paid back about $200, court records note.

She reportedly told investigators that in her mind she was borrowing the money and did not see it as stealing because she was paying it back.

The investigation reportedly began at the outset of October 2012 when Greencastle Postmaster Daryl Stockton contacted the USPS Office of the Inspector General due to discrepancies in the retail floor stock (stamps, etc.) at the local post office.

He reportedly advised that the post office stock count had been fine until Stewart returned from a sick leave absence (December 2011-July 2012).

Before and after that, the postmaster said, a number of stock floor counts produced discrepancies, including a $357 shortage on Oct. 2, 2012, a $1,317 shortage on Oct. 1, 2010, and a $1,018 overage on Jan. 7, 2011.

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  • I usually don't take a receipt for buying stamps, but I will from now on. Glad this was caught before any more was stolen.

    -- Posted by interestedperson#1 on Thu, Dec 19, 2013, at 1:05 PM
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