A former Franklin postal worker was arrested Tuesday on a warrant for official misconduct and nine counts of mail theft.
Following a U.S. Postal Service investigation, Justin A. Gast, 36, was charged with official misconduct as a Level 6 Felony and nine counts of theft as a Class A misdemeanor. The alleged mail theft incident leading to the investigation occurred Oct. 11, 2023, according to a probable cause affidavit filed with Johnson County Circuit Court.
A man reportedly witnessed Gast rifling through mail at the McDonald’s near the Franklin Post Office. He said he saw Gast open a stack of greeting cards and pocketed something he found in one of the envelopes. The affidavit filed does not say what exactly was taken.
The witness also allegedly saw Gast put the torn open envelopes in a McDonald’s bag and put them in the trash.