A local mail carrier faces up to a decade in federal prison after admitting she used her government-issued fuel card to gas up private vehicles instead of her mail truck.
U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced that Delvenia Renee Mitchell, 54, Jacksonville, pleaded guilty to theft of government property involving more than $1,000.
According to federal prosecutors, Mitchell was working as a carrier for the U.S. Postal Service in 2023 when investigators with the USPS Office of Inspector General noticed irregularities in her spending. Authorities say Mitchell used her assigned gas card for multiple purchases in Jacksonville and other areas that were well outside her designated delivery route.
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Beyond just the location of the stops, the sheer volume of fuel raised red flags. Investigators noted that the amount of gas purchased often exceeded the fuel tank capacity of the postal vehicle she was assigned to drive.
The case was solidified by surveillance footage, which prosecutors say captured Mitchell using the government card to pump gas into vehicles that were not property of the USPS.
Mitchell faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and will be required to pay restitution. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
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