Richmond-area postal worker sentenced to four years for $1.5 million mail theft, fraud scheme
VENN
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- A Richmond-area U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee was sentenced to four years in prison on Wednesday after prosecutors say he stole more than $1.5 million in checks in a bank fraud scheme.
On Wednesday, March 25, 28-year-old Joshua Lee of North Chesterfield was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Court documents show that Lee worked as a mail processing clerk at the USPS Richmond Processing and Distribution Center (RPDC) from Oct. 24, 2021, to May 5, 2025.
Lee searched for mail likely to contain gift cards, checks, or cash and hid it among his personal belongings inside the facility between July 2023 to May 2025, the DOJ said.
He then allegedly removed the stolen mail from the RPDC during breaks and at the end of his shifts before notifying his co-conspirators that he had checks available for sale, knowing they would fraudulently cash or deposit them.
In total, Lee stole at least $1,581,953.59 in checks moved through the facility.
