Georgia mail carrier sentenced after stealing $1M in checks: DOJ

( NewsNation ) — A former U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier in Georgia was sentenced to two years in federal prison for stealing items worth more than $1 million.

Melissa McAfee, 44, delivered packages in the Smyrna area, near Atlanta, from August 2022 to September 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a release . Though the exact timeline remains unclear, the USPS Office of Inspector General launched an investigation after customers complained about stolen mail on her route.

During the investigation, USPS-OIG received surveillance footage showing McAfee was responsible for the thefts, according to the release. Postal Service agents also executed a search warrant at her home and found envelopes containing stolen mail, 145 checks and 37 gift cards. Overall, they determined she stole 171 checks worth more than $1,035,000.

McAfee pleaded guilty to possession of stolen mail on May 14, 2026, and was sentenced this week to two years in prison followed by two years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay an undisclosed amount in restitution.

“Today’s sentencing sends a strong message to anyone who thinks mail theft and check fraud will go unpunished,” Jonathan Ulrich, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, said.

“Our special agents, along with our federal and local law enforcement partners, will aggressively investigate these federal crimes,” he added.

In May, the DOJ announced two former postal carriers, a former Georgia bank manager and a “convicted felon” face federal charges in an alleged multimillion-dollar mail theft and bank fraud scheme.

NewsNation’s Sean Noone contributed to this report.