FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- A U.S. Postal employee was sentenced to 48 months in prison for stealing over $750,000 in treasury checks.
Zerion Marcos Franklin worked at the mail processing annex in Fayetteville at the time of the crime.
In June, he was caught after police conducted a traffic stop and spotted drug paraphernalia, alongside 47 Treasury checks made payable to entities and individuals other than Franklin. The checks, dated between April and May of 2023, included federal tax refunds, VA benefits and more.
"Our American postal service is a public trust, staffed with civil servants bound to prioritize the public's interests above personal gain," U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. said "Most postal employees honor their oath, faithfully delivering billions of parcels every year. This postal employee is the rare exception, stealing three-quarters of a million dollars in U.S. Treasury funds, including tax refunds, from the mail and robbing hardworking American taxpayers in the process. The consequence is clear: steal mail, face prison."
Inside Franklin's vehicle, police also found marijuana packaged for sale, a loaded 9mm handgun and over $22,000.
Shortly after, a woman in New Hanover County reported the theft of her tax refund check. It was discovered that the check was stolen from the mail stream and altered to reflect Franklin's name as the payee. It was cashed at a Walmart in Fayetteville in May.
"We appreciate the outstanding effort by both our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice," Kathleen Woodson, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Office of the Inspector General (USPS-OIG), said. "The vast majority of Postal Service employees are honest, hardworking individuals who would not violate the public's trust in this manner. An employee who decides otherwise, will be aggressively investigated by OIG Special Agents."