US postal worker accused of dumping mail, including election ballots
FILE - Vehicles of US Postal Service (USPS) is seen in New York, USA on August 18, 2020. (Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - A postal employee in New Jersey dumped more than 1,800 pieces of mail, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.
Nicholas Beauchene, 26, of Kearny, faced arraignment later in the day on charges of delay, secretion or detention of mail and obstruction of mail. It was not known if he had retained a lawyer.
The mail included 99 ballots for the upcoming election, and more than 600 pieces of first class mail.
The approximately 1,875 pieces of discarded mail was recovered from trash dumpsters in North Arlington and West Orange on Oct. 2, and Oct. 5., prosecutors said. It had been scheduled to be delivered to addresses on certain postal routes in Orange and West Orange.
In addition to the election ballots for residents in West Orange, prosecutors said 276 campaign flyers from candidates for the West Orange Council and for the school board also were recovered.
Prosecutors said Beauchene was the only mail carrier assigned to deliver to the addresses on the delivery dates.
The recovered mail was placed back into the mail stream for delivery.