A former U.S. Postal Service supervisor admitted on May 4 to stealing 89 checks from the mail while working at the St. Louis Processing and Distribution Center.
Benita D. Randle, age 43, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of theft of mail by a U.S. Postal Service employee. John W. Harrison, age 26, of Black Jack, Missouri, had previously pleaded guilty on Feb. 10 to one count of possession of stolen mail matter.
According to court documents, Randle used her access as a supervisor at the center between September and October of 2023 to steal mail containing checks and gave them to Harrison who then opened the mail and removed the checks. The scheme was uncovered after Randle’s leased Nissan Juke was repossessed for lack of insurance; a backpack belonging to Harrison was found inside containing an AR-style handgun, cocaine, fentanyl and loose checks, leading the dealership to call police.
After officers arrived at the dealership with Randle present, she falsely claimed that she did not handle mail as part of her job responsibilities and later lied during investigations by federal authorities about her access both to the vehicle and postal items.
Investigators determined that Randle had stolen a total of 89 checks from dozens of victims' mail along with finding one counterfeit check bearing information identical to one stolen check; together these totaled $369,248 in face value.
Randle is scheduled for sentencing on August 20 while Harrison will be sentenced June 3; each faces up to five years in prison or fines up to $250,000 or both prison time and fines.
The case was investigated by multiple agencies including the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri investigates and prosecutes federal crimes such as terrorism and fraud while enforcing civil rights. It collaborates with law enforcement to prevent crime and improve community quality of life, serving 49 counties in the region, according to the official website.
