Former letter carrier stole rebate cards from her delivery route
KALAMAZOO – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Jacqueline M. Garrow, 50, of Lansing, was sentenced to two years of probation for theft of mail by a U.S. Postal Service employee. During sentencing, U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney said, “general deterrence is important because people have a right to expect their mail will get where they send it without any tampering.” In imposing a probationary sentence, he noted that “the loss of her job has already brought home to Ms. Garrow the seriousness of her offense.”
“Offenses like this undermine public confidence in the U.S. Postal System,” said U.S. Attorney Totten. “The felony conviction in this case sends a strong deterrent message to anyone who may unlawfully interfere with the mail system.”
In 2022, Garrow was a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service, whose route included parts of the city of Lansing. Home goods retailer Menards contacted the Postal Service after receiving a complaint from a customer that he never received an expected rebate card. Agents determined that the card was redeemed for merchandise at Menards’ Lansing South store, and found the customer redeemed two other rebate cards at the same time. All three cards were addressed to recipients along Garrow’s assigned delivery route. Video footage from Menards showed she was the one who redeemed the rebates. Because Garrow immediately confessed when confronted, the government concurred in her request for a probationary sentence. Ms. Garrow will be required to pay back the customers whose cards were stolen.
“This sentencing represents the hard work and dedication by USPS-OIG Special Agents working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office on this mail theft investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Dennus Bishop, U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Central Area Field Office. “The majority of postal employees are hard-working public servants dedicated to moving mail to its proper destination. The USPS-OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the U.S. Mail and ensuring the accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees.”
The U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General investigated this case.