A 29-year-old Madison man was sentenced and fined Tuesday, Dec. 13, in federal court in connection with mail theft incidents that occurred in Sun Prairie in 2020 and 2021.
Steven Rosa was sentenced at the Western District of Wisconsin courthouse in Madison by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to two years of probation for theft of mail matter by a postal employee. Conley also fined Rosa $2,000 as part of the sentence.
Rosa’s theft was uncovered after a service technician for a portable toilet company found opened U.S. First Class mail in a portable toilet in Sun Prairie on Dec. 28, 2020.
On Jan. 4, 2021, additional pieces of opened mail were found in the same location, as well as in a second portable toilet.
According to a press release from U.S. Attorney Timothy O’Shea, the U.S. Postal Service determined the mail was assigned for delivery to Rosa, who was a mail carrier with the USPS at the time.
Rosa ultimately admitted to stealing mail from his route for a period of two weeks, and that he was looking for cash and Amazon gift cards.
In total, the USPS determined the defendant stole pieces of mail from 39 separate individuals, and approximately $245 in cash and gift cards. The stolen mail included several holiday greeting cards.
In sentencing Rosa, Conley stated the crime committed by the defendant was a sad offense because of its impact on the community.
Conley also said the defendant’s conduct was incredibly damaging to the “already suffering” USPS, and that the defendant violated the trust of the public.
The charge against Rosa was the result of an investigation conducted by the USPS Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor L. Kraus prosecuted the case.
