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A United States Postal Service contract mail carrier is accused of stealing over 4,000 pieces of mail from a retirement community in Florida. Miranda Delee Farleigh, 25, was busted by her own parents, who both work as contract mail carriers as well.
Her mother found "several tubs" of "unlawfully opened mail" in her bedroom and contacted the Lady Lake postmaster. Farleigh's parents also found more pieces of stolen mail in her car.
U.S. Postal Inspector David Keith wrote in the complaint that Farleigh admitted to "rifling mail containing greeting cards in order to steal currency and/or gift cards" and specifically "targeted the outgoing mail that was dropped off by residents in The Villages."
Farleigh told investigators that she was addicted to heroin and stole the money to buy illegal drugs.
Keith said that he interviewed seven people living in the retirement community who claimed that money was stolen from cards they had put in the mail to members of their families.
"R.D. advised that five pieces of mail intended for R.D.'s grandchildren each had contained $20 cash inside the envelopes," Keith wrote. "When recovered, the pieces of mail no longer contained the currency."
The complaint did not say how much money Farleigh allegedly stole, but U.S. Attorney spokesman William Daniel told USA Today that investigators are working to determine the full scope of her alleged crimes.
Farleigh has been charged with theft of mail by a postal service employee. If convicted, she faces up to five years in prison.