SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, May 11, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A postal worker has been found guilty at trial in federal court of delaying, disrupting and shredding mail meant for immigrant citizenship proceedings.
Sentencing is set for Aug. 1 in U.S. District Court for Diana K. Molyneux, for her actions at the U.S. Postal Service’s Processing and Delivery Center (P&DC) in Salt Lake City, according to a Wednesday press release from the U.S. Attorney for Utah’s office.
“Ms. Molyneux used her position as a U.S. Postal employee to interfere with the delivery of mail. The fact that she targeted immigration mail makes this offense more egregious,” said U.S. Attorney for Utah Trina A. Higgins.
“We will continue to work with law enforcement to investigate and prosecute cases where public servants abuse their position to discriminate and cause harm to our community.”
According to court documents and the evidence presented at trial, while working the night shift Molyneux sorted and processed express and priority mail intended to be delivered locally or dispatched to Reno, Nevada, according to the press release.
A number of immigration mailers from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) had gone missing in the fall of 2017. Other mail clerks reported to supervisors that they had found USCIS mail in places that were either outside the normal delivery stream, tampered with, or placed at a location for shredding.
“As a result of these reports, a criminal investigation was initiated. Between April 2018 and June 2018 Molyneux was captured on camera digging through areas of pre-sorted mail.
“Camera footage shows Molyneux retrieving and setting aside priority immigration mail, which was never returned to its proper location for dispatch.
“Between August and September 2018, agents witnessed Molyneux again removing pre-sorted mail that was later identified as USCIS immigration mail. During the September surveillance, Molyneux buried six pieces of priority immigration mail deep in a shred bin that is used to destroy and recycle undeliverable bulk mail.”
Molyneux was suspended from her position and placed on unpaid leave. “The complaints to the USPS about lost USCIS mail from USPS’ Processing and Delivery Center immediately ceased after her termination.”
The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General investigated the case.
