Karen Pilarski

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A former federal postal employee who, over the course of a year, stole an undisclosed amount of gift cards while on the job was sentenced to probation on Dec. 7, according to online federal court records.

Lavonda K. Wright, 45, of Milwaukee was placed on probation for two years after she pleaded guilty in August to stealing gift cards from mail she was delivering on Milwaukee's west side for more than a year, according to her plea agreement.

Wright is not the only postal worker caught stealing. There have been 10 such charged cases in the Eastern District of Wisconsin in the past three years, according to federal court records. Nationally, there were 232 people charged in federal courts between Oct. 1, 2017, and March 31, 2018, according to a Postal Service Inspector General report to Congress.

Integrity tests

Online court documents note how Wright was caught which are similar to other mail theft cases involving integrity tests.



Wright worked for the U.S. Postal Service since September 2015. In January 2018, a USPS customer reported she never received a $100 Trader Joe's gift card. This card was sent to her by her daughter. Upon further investigation, it was found the gift card was used by Wright at Bayshore Mall in Glendale, federal court records said.

Wright used the card on both Dec. 6 and 9, 2017. In the latter purchase, the amount due exceeded the remaining balance on the card. At that time, Wright used her personal credit card to complete the purchase.

After discovering this information, the USPS conducted three integrity tests for Wright. Wright stole items from two of the three test pieces. During the first test, she appropriately delivered the mail. The second test included a $20 Target gift card.

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On February 22, 2018, Wright took the gift card out of the envelope with an undeliverable address. She then used the gift card at a Target on March 18, 2018. A photograph of Wright using the gift card was retrieved from Target. On March 3, 2018, Wright stole from another test piece of mail, records showed. She took another Target gift card out of an envelope addressed to a vacant apartment.

Records showed Wright used the gift card at a Target in Greenfield on March 8, 2018. A photograph of Wright using the gift card was retrieved from that Target.

Ultimately, a live test was conducted on Wright's route on March 21, 2018. While parked in her postal vehicle, Wright opened the test piece of mail, which contained $20 in cash. After Wright opened the test piece, agents were alerted and confronted her in her postal vehicle, where she pulled a $20 bill from her pants pocket, with the same serial number as the one in the test mail. Wright admitted to stealing from the mail for approximately one year. The online records don't indicate how much money she took in stolen mail.

She began stealing because of a gambling issue, to help pay bills, and to take care of her family, records said.

Part of her probation conditions includes not participating in any form of gambling, including the purchase of lottery tickets, or patronize any gambling facilities. She is to attend Gambler’s Anonymous meetings as approved by her supervising probation officer.

Other cases

Last summer, Wauwatosa residents complained to the U.S. Postal Service that they were not receiving graduation, wedding, birthday and sympathy cards.

A U.S. postal worker admitted to stealing more than 6,000 greeting cards filled with cash and checks in Wauwatosa. As part of the deal, Ebony Lavonne Smith, 20, of Milwaukee pleaded guilty to theft or receipt of stolen mail on Sept.12 and will be sentenced at a later date.

Thomas P. Gunderson of Franklin pleaded guilty to embezzlement of mail matter on Nov. 29 and will be sentenced at a later date, according to online federal court records.