A federal grand jury has indicted a former U.S. Postal Service mail carrier, Michael Vernon, 52, of Somerville, Massachusetts, on charges of stealing prescription drugs from packages intended for postal customers in Waltham. According to court documents, Vernon allegedly used his position as a USPS employee between June 2022 and January 2024 to open mail and take bottles of prescription medication.
Vernon was arrested and is scheduled to appear in federal court in Boston at 2:45 PM. The indictment includes one count of theft of mail by an officer or employee. If convicted, Vernon faces up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge according to the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and applicable statutes.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Area Field Office, announced the indictment. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam W. Deitch from the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is handling the prosecution.
“The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
