WAVERLY — A rural mail carrier has pleaded to charges she stole home improvement store rebates from people on her route.
Kayeleen Luloff pleaded to a charge of theft of mail by a postal service employee on Monday in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids. Sentencing will be at a later date. The charge carries up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Luloff had been working for the U.S. Postal Service since 2021. Her routes included Waverly, Shell Rock and Denver.
In August and September 2022, she allegedly stole Menards rebate certificates that were mailed to six store customers. The rebates ranged in value from $25 to $283 and totaled $956, according to court records.
Luloff then used the rebate certificates when shopping in September 2022
By November 2022, authorities became suspicious. She denied taking the certificates during an interview with law enforcement. She was placed on leave and later terminated, court records state.