VAN WERT — The case of a Van Wert postal carrier who allegedly burned undelivered mail will be heard in federal court.
Van Wert County Prosecuting Attorney Eva Yarger on Monday confirmed the charges related to the Oct. 22 mail-burning incident will be handled at the federal level. The exact charge or charges will be determined by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The name of the individual who authorities believe set fire to an undelivered pile of mail has not been released by authorities as the investigation proceeds. The mail carrier, who works out of the Van Wert Post Office, is alleged to have set fire to undelivered mail in a fire pit in the backyard of his home in the 900 block of George Street during the early morning hours of Wednesday, Oct. 22.
In an interview with Fort Wayne television station WANE 15, the postal employee said he had forgotten to send out Friday’s mail to Central Avenue and said he noticed the pile in his truck that morning and, for fear of getting in trouble, put the 6-inch stack of envelopes in his fire pit and “lit it on fire.”
The man did not appear on camera and was not named in the report. A copy of the incident report generated by the Van Wert Police Department and obtained by The Lima News has the name of the alleged offender redacted but did identify him as being 40 years of age.
