WHEELING - The alleged actions of a Wheeling postal employee over the course of two days could cost her 10 years of freedom and a half a million dollars.
But the city's postmaster said cases of mail tampering are uncommon, and that Wheeling residents should have confidence in the mail service.
Teresa L. Magers was indicted Tuesday by a grand jury in the Federal Court of the Northern District of West Virginia on charges that she stole and tampered with mail. Magers was named in a two-count indictment, according to information from the office of U.S. Attorney Sharon L. Potter. The first count of the indictment alleges Magers destroyed, delayed and opened letters, postal cards and other mail that came into her possession as an employee of the Postal Service on March 18-19, 2008, in Ohio County. The second count of of the indictment alleges Magers also stole mail on those same days.
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Former Wheeling Post Office employee Teresa L. Magers was indicted Tuesday by a grand jury in U.S. Federal Court of the Northern District of West Virginia on charges that she stole and tampered with mail in 2008.
Wheeling Postmaster Randal Link on Thursday said such allegations against U.S. Postal Service employees are rare. Link, who was not the postmaster in Wheeling when the crimes allegedly were committed, said the city's post office also has a solid record of mail service. He credited the employees of the Wheeling Post Office.
"We handle hundreds of thousands of pieces of mail that get delivered each day," Link said. "We have very dedicated people, and the performance records indicate so. We take very seriously the sanctity of the mail."
If convicted, Magers faces a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 on each count of the indictment.
The case will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Perri. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Office of Inspector General.