More than 8,000 pieces of mail worth over $4 million were stashed in 55-gallon trash bags as two Texas postal contractors sifted through looking for money, officials say.
Those two Lubbock-based contractors have been charged with possessing stolen mail, according to a Nov. 2 news release from the Northern District of Texas U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Joe Roy Rivas III, 22, and Jessica Lynn Solomon, 35 — both of Slaton, Texas — were indicted last month on one count of conspiracy to possess stolen mail and eight counts of possession of stolen mail. They are former coworkers at Cargo Force, Inc., a contracted company with the United States Postal Service. The company helps load USPS mail into and out of air containers for flights through Lubbock International Airport.
The attorney representing Rivas has not responded to an email from McClatchy News. Solomon’s attorney did not provide a statement as to how the case is ongoing.
The former coworkers are accused of stealing the mail, keeping it in trash bags at their homes and going through it while looking for items including cash, gift cards, checks and money orders. Court documents show the stolen mail included:
- A $2 million check to Pershing, LLC
- A $241,863 check to Sodexo Inc. & Affiliates food services company
- A $25,728 check to National Rural Telecom Coop
- A $5,000 check made payable to a person.
This is the “largest ever seizure of stolen mail in Northern District of Texas history,” officials said. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Slaton Police Department.
If Rivas and Solomon are convicted on all charges, they each face a maximum of 45 years in prison.
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