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Park Forest Post Office Employee Put on Administrative Leave in Mail Theft Investigation

packaging display, United States Post Office, USPS, mail theft investigation
A packaging display at a United States Post Office. (Aranami on Flickr: Creative Commons License)

Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- An employee of the Park Forest Post Office has been placed on administrative leave pending a decision by the USPS management on his job status following a mail theft investigation, according to a Special Agent of the United States Postal Service Office of the Inspector General (OIG) in Chicago.

“I spoke with the investigating agent’s supervisor and was advised an employee responsible for mail theft was identified and he has been placed on administrative leave pending a decision by the USPS management on his job status when they receive our report, which was issued last week,” Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jeff Arney, a public information officer with the USPS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) told eNews Park Forest. “If it hasn’t already been done, the case will be presented for criminal prosecution very soon.”

“At this time, we cannot release the name of the employee,” Special Agent Arney said.

The employee in question was “on loan” to the Park Forest Post Office from another post office, Special Agent Arney said. The alleged theft occurred from the mail delivered from the Park Forest Post Office, according to Special Agent Arney.

eNews Park Forest first broke this story in late May following complaints from Park Forest residents. Ms. Jen Whitson started the thread on Facebook, reporting the theft of two credit cards. “Not entirely sure if this is a local issue or Chicago/regional since both cards were used/attempted far north of here,” Ms. Whitson commented in her post.

Ms. Whitson said in her Facebook post that the two credit cards that were stolen from her were “used fraudulently,” one at a Target store in River North, the other at an Apple Store in Skokie.

Another person who responded on the thread described what sounded like identity theft. Her father, who lived in the Lincolnwood section of town, received past due notices from a health club, and ” a couple of women using his last name and address to open credit cards for catalog orders from a Wisconsin business. I had to keep calling and returning these bills.”

eNews Park Forest will continue to follow-up on this story.

Related: USPS Office of the Inspector General Fields Park Forest Mail Theft Complaints

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