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Sheriff: Temple postal employee admits to stealing cash, gift cards from mail

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Update: This story has been updated with a correction that the person charged with theft was not the postmaster but an employee at the Temple Post Office.

TEMPLE – A Temple Post Office employee has been charged with theft and misuse of identification after investigators say she admitted to stealing cash and gift cards from the mail.

U.S. Post Office employee, Amanda Wentzell, 25, of Temple, has been charged with theft by unauthorized taking and misuse of identification, both misdemeanors.

According to Sheriff Scott Nichols, his office was notified by a resident that a pre-paid credit card had been lost or stolen in Temple.

“The complainant informed Detective Kenneth Charles (of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office) that a gift card intended as a graduation gift never arrived at its intended location. However, it had been activated and had been used,” Nichols said.

Through his investigation and subsequent interviews with victims, Detective Charles reported that the card had in fact been activated by a current Temple Post Office employee Amanda Wentzell. The gift card was valued at $100.

“He interviewed Wentzell at her place of work on Thursday, July 21, at which time she confessed to the crimes of Class D theft by unauthorized taking and Class D misuse of identification,” Nichols said.

“Wentzell also admitted to another seven separate thefts involving small amounts of U.S. currency and other gift cards assigned to venues such as restaurants and other retail locations,” he added.

The incidents involved not only incoming but also outgoing mail from Temple.

According to investigators, Wentzell is alleged to have said that when she opened mail hoping to find cash but discovered a check, she would throw away the checks.

If anyone suspects they have been a victim of this crime and are a resident of Temple, they are asked to contact Detective Ken Charles at 778-2680.

The office of the inspector general of the U.S. Postal Service has been informed of the investigation and has been in contact with Detective Charles.

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19 Comments

  1. Seriously!!!! This is outrageous!!!! Please Don’t ANYBODY play the bleeding heart liberal or lay the “There but for the grace of God” speech on me over this one. There is NO REASON this behavior can be considered anything but despicable and criminal.

  2. Would this be considered a federal crime? Wow, I hope this is a isolated incident. Hearing of this type of crime is not a good sign.

  3. Never thought it would happen here. Like Alison said, you think you know people. Wow. Very disappointed.

  4. Yes, that would be a Federal Crime:

    “Theft or Receipt of Stolen Mail Matter Generally (United States Code 18 Section 1708)

    Under United States Code 18 Section 1708, federal mail theft is a felony. If you are charged with mail theft, you could face up to five years in federal prison and fines of up to $250,000.”

    Not the smartest of moves.

  5. It is much more common than you think. I was postmaster through the 80’s. I remember one of the most diligent postmasters in Maine doing the exact same thing except it was usually cash and she would replace a ten dollar bill with a five. My postmaster trainer told me if I found a dime on the work room floor, put it in your cash receipts for the day under misc non postal. If you never take the first dime you will never get in trouble. And I didn’t.

  6. According to another news article:

    “Ms. Wentzell is still on the rolls but not interacting with the mail at this time as this investigation is ongoing,” U.S. Postal Service spokesman Steve Doherty wrote.

    WHAT?

    You don’t immediately get fired for this? Unbelievable…..it’s not like she is claiming innocence and they need to prove it first….she confessed!

  7. How sick and sad that even USPS workers can not be trusted. Glad that they caught her before it got any worse.Hope she gets a good punishment and not a slap on the wrist

  8. Charlotte bogue
    July 22, 2016 • 5:06 am

    If you never take the first dime you will never get in trouble. And I didn’t.

    I am pretty sure (at least I hope) that the reason you didn’t steal from others was because of a moral responsibility to yourself and not for a Fear of getting in trouble. I feel I am probably just reading your wording wrong.

    The saying “Do Unto Others” comes to mind. If you don’t want to be victimized, start by not victimizing others.

    There is some that believe crime is deterred by the punishment given, It is not. The reason your neighbor is not robbing and killing you has very little to do with his or her “Fear” of punishment, Conversely if your neighbor is robbing and threatening you it also has nothing to do with punishment not being harsh enough.

    Some people have Morals and a soul and some don’t, Period…

    A person who doesn’t understand why its wrong to Harm others especially children can not be saved and/or Rehabilitated. This is not to say people don’t make mistakes some times, Just to point out that all a law/punishment can do is keep honest people honest. Laws/Punishments do not change a criminals way of thinking nor behavior.

    ken
    July 22, 2016 • 5:31 am

    According to another news article:

    “Ms. Wentzell is still on the rolls but not interacting with the mail at this time as this investigation is ongoing,” U.S. Postal Service spokesman Steve Doherty wrote.

    WHAT?

    You don’t immediately get fired for this? Unbelievable…..it’s not like she is claiming innocence and they need to prove it first….she confessed!

    LOL, Look at the IRS scandal, The NSA spying, Clinton Using AOL to send top secret documents to her book club members, The 28 pages of the 9/11 report fingering Saudi Arabia as financier (while we attack Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, and Syria. Purdue pharmaceuticals being fined pennies while making millions off knowingly getting people addicted to heroin, HSBC bank laundering terrorist and drug cartel money being fined a fraction of what they made and continued to make.

    The rules don’t apply when you are .gov employed, The bigger you are the easier you get off.

    Go steal 20$ from someone on the street or a store or from the government, Not only will you become unemployed but also locked up…

  9. Why are they charging her with “misdemeanors” if it is a Federal crime? Aren’t misdemeanors are a slap on the hand?

  10. Sad commentary on the world today! Everyone is out for what He or She can get, anyway they can! Thank God not everyone is like this. How some people can get up in the morning & look themselves in the mirror is beyond me!!!

  11. @wondering the state charges first and then it usually goes through the Inspector generals office where the federal charges will be brought up

  12. It is federal. But they only pick up what THEY want.. Corruption begets corruption.

  13. Horrible. Are people not taught morals, personal responsibility or not to steal any more? First the Food Bank woman and now this. Where is their conscience?

  14. People know right from wrong. You can have the best parents, teachers and community with strong morals raise someone, but ultimately the choice to falter is on each individual person.

    I think casting the blame needs to fall on the individual. We cannot control the actions of others. Only ourselves.

    As far as consequences, if our justice system would quit slapping wrists and cut them off instead, perhaps someone would think hard before making bad choices.

  15. Having recently relocated to Temple (such a lovely small town) and having met so many wonderful and friendly people I find myself saddened and disappointed to hear about this happening here where it seems everyone knows everyone… But I guess these days anything is possible…

  16. IMO
    July 22, 2016 • 2:12 pm

    People know right from wrong. You can have the best parents, teachers and community with strong morals raise someone, but ultimately the choice to falter is on each individual person.

    I think casting the blame needs to fall on the individual. We cannot control the actions of others. Only ourselves.

    As far as consequences, if our justice system would quit slapping wrists and cut them off instead, perhaps someone would think hard before making bad choices.

    You do realize your advocating for the same people that you can’t trust to run the post office to have the power to cut peoples hands off…Just something to think about.

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