Postal Carrier's Embezzlement Stamped Out

By Ron Fitzwater

Over three years of anxious waiting by residents of Ashe, Allegheny and Wilkes Counties was at last ended

when Allegheny County Sheriff's Department (ACSD) Detective Lieutenant Tim Duncan placed 47 year-old Sandra W. Royal under arrest and charged the Wilkes County resident with multiple counts of embezzlement of mail.

Royal, a resident of Roaring River in Wilkes County, worked as a rural route mail carrier for Cecil Crouse of Wilkesboro. Crouse has held a Highway Contract Route agreement to deliver mail for the United States Postal Service (USPS) for more than 40 years.

In the course of her duties delivering mail from Wilkes County to Allegheny County and back with stops in Mulberry, Laurel Springs, Piney Creek Sparta and Ennice, Royal has admitted to taking mail for the purpose of removing cash and gift cards meant for birthday, holiday, graduation gifts and other celebrations.

In a prepared statement, Duncan related the events surrounding his involvement with the case which at one time was under investigation by the USPS and the U.S. Attorney's Office (USAO) for Western N.C.

According to Duncan on June 25, 2008, Mrs. Grace Mabe came in to the ACSD to report that she was having an ongoing problem with her mail and that it actually dated back some three years. From time to time, according to Mabe, she would send "birthday cards, graduation cards and other types of cards with a check or cash inside to her grandchildren, but they would never receive them." Mabe told Duncan that she had spoken to the Laurel Springs Post Mistress on multiple occasions about the missing mail problem that she and several of her neighbors were having and was at last told that there had been a problem with a truck driver stealing mail and that the ACSD had arrested the driver.

At that time, according to Duncan, neither he nor any other member of the department was involved in any case dealing with postal theft: He told the complainant that he would look into the matter.

Duncan's investigation brought him together with Investigator Matt Baldwin of the Post Master General's Office (PMGO), who had actually been the first law enforcement official to question Royal about the thefts some weeks earlier. Duncan explained that his conversation with Baldwin revealed that crimes had in fact taken place and that Royal had admitted to the thefts.

"Mr. Baldwin stated that this crime was brought to their [PMGO] attention when a victim mailed out gift cards from our county and the party never received them. Then sometime later, the victim received a receipt from Walmart in Elkin, N.C., where the cards had been redeemed."

Baldwin contacted the store and was able to view date-and-time-stamped security video, which revealed that Royal had redeemed the cards. Upon questioning by Baldwin, and after viewing the security video, the driver admitted to stealing the mail while on her route. Additionally, at the time of the questioning, Baldwin obtained consent to search Royal's handbag where he found an additional 10 pieces of mail that had been stolen. During the interview, Royal told Baldwin that during her route she would open pieces of mail she deemed promising and would remove cash and gift cards before discarding the mail out of the window of the vehicle.

"Mr. Baldwin said he contacted the USAO who advised him that they would not take the case due to the small amount of money that can be proved stolen. Mr. Baldwin asked for my assistance in the case and I began working to contact some of the victims," Duncan stated.

Sue Ellen Peirce, USAO Media Specialist stated she was unable to confirm Baldwin's statement.

"I have checked the public record and I can't locate any record of Ms. Royal's being processed through our system. As far as any discussions with law enforcement representatives and prosecutors might have had that is not something that is open and available for the public and we are not allowed to discuss the prosecutorial decision making process by Justice Department guidelines."

The case did come to Duncan and after exhausting all reasonable attempts to locate and verify victims of the thefts; Duncan said that a warrant was issued for Royal on 12 counts of embezzlement of mail. Duncan executed the warrant and took Royal into custody at her Roaring River home without incident at 3 p.m. on June 16. Royal appeared before Magistrate Kevin Mabe and was released from the Allegheny County Law Enforcement Center on a $3,000 bond. She will next appear before a judge for preliminary proceedings on Tuesday, June 30, at the Allegheny County Courthouse located at12 North Main Street in Sparta.