By The Epoch Times | Created at 2026-09-26 18:11:48 | Updated at 2026-09-27 20:49:22
1 day ago
Two former United States Postal Service (USPS) employees have been charged with allegedly stealing gift cards from mail.
Pian Pian Wong-Tam, who used to work at the USPS White Plains Processing & Distribution Center in White Plains, New York, and William Wong, who worked as a mail clerk at a post office in Millwood, New York, are the defendants in the case.
More than 200 gift cards, each worth $25 to $500, were allegedly stolen by the duo, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a Sept. 25 statement.
The USPS Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted an investigation after receiving several complaints that mail processed at the White Plains facility was damaged and that gift cards were missing.
The investigation found that between April 2025 and July 24, 2026, Wong-Tam allegedly stole gift cards and other items at the White Plains facility. These gift cards were then shared with Wong. Together, they allegedly used the cards at various business locations in different states for personal benefit, the DOJ said.
The defendants are charged with conspiracy to steal and unlawfully possess mail, conspiracy to commit access device fraud, and access device fraud. Wong-Tam was additionally charged with a count of theft of mail by a Postal Service officer or employee. They are facing prison terms.
Theft or receipt of stolen mail generally violates Title 18 of the U.S. Code Section 1708 and carries a maximum prison term of five years, fines, or both.
“The complaint against Wong-Tam and Wong should send a clear message that stealing from the mail entrusted to USPS for delivery is a serious federal offense that will not be tolerated,” U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald said in the statement.
“The charges against the defendants reflect this Office’s and our law enforcement partners’ continued commitment to ensuring the integrity of the U.S. postal system,” McDonald said.
The Epoch Times was unable to reach the legal representatives for Pian Pian Wong-Tam and William Wong.
U.S. Postal Service employees work during the start of the holiday mail rush inside the Los Angeles Mail Processing & Distribution Center in Los Angeles on Dec. 3, 2024. Mario Tama/Getty Images
In a recent case, another USPS employee pleaded guilty to stealing gift cards from mail, according to the DOJ. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the person’s home and post office in March, finding 141 gift cards, $1,624 in cash, and letters addressed to other individuals.
The issue of mail theft by workers at USPS was highlighted by the agency’s OIG in an October 2024
report. A total of 5,961 internal mail theft cases were closed nationwide between Oct. 1, 2019, and Sept. 30, 2023, the report said.
USPS mail processing centers were found to allow employees to bring personal belongings into workrooms, posing a security vulnerability that could enable workers to conceal mail and other packages stolen from the site.
“Additionally, Postal Inspection Service officials did not actively monitor the operational status of remotely accessible ISIP cameras that are used to monitor operations on the workroom floor,” according to the report.
Lawmakers are pushing for more transparency on mail theft by criminals and USPS employees. In November last year, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) introduced the USPS Act, which would require the Comptroller General of the United States to submit reports on mail and USPS property theft to Congress.
Specifically, the comptroller will be required to investigate patterns and instances of theft. The reports must include information on measures taken by USPS to address such thefts and recommendations for how the agency and Congress can counter these activities.
The bill was introduced to restore trust in the Postal Service, according to a Nov. 10 statement from Cruz’s office.
“For far too long, criminals have seen the USPS as a soft target to steal from everyday Americans. Sometimes, it’s even an inside job. It is imperative that the public be able to rely on this age-old institution to pay bills, receive medication, and get other essential items on time,” Rep. Randy Weber (R-Texas), who introduced companion legislation in the House, said in the statement.
“With President [Donald] Trump cleaning up the federal government, the USPS is no exception,” Weber said. “We will keep pressing for transparency and results.”
The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
