SPOKANE, Wash. — A former employee of the United States Postal Service is accused of stealing mail from Spokane residents for nearly one year, according to a federal grand jury indictment.
The indictment dated Oct. 21, 2020 says Brian David Nelson "did unlawfully secret, detain, and delay an item of mail entrusted to him which had come into his possession." He is charged with 12 counts of unlawfully secreting and delaying mail, which is a felony.
Nelson is longer employed with USPS and the agency declined to provide further comment, according to Spokane spokesperson Mary Smith.
According to the indictment, Nelson allegedly stole or delayed mail belonging to Spokane residents from August 2019 to May 2020. The most recent incident occurred on May 13, 2020. Most of the items were first-class letters, while some were priority parcels, according to the indictment.
The addresses of the stolen or delayed mail were concentrated on Spokane's South Hill. Residents who were impacted live on these streets: Upriver Drive, 23rd Avenue, 21st Avenue, Adams Street, Sherman Street, 32nd Avenue, 33rd Avenue, Skyview Drive, Latawah Street and Manito Boulevard.
The charges against Nelson carry a sentence of up to five years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine, according to court records.
