A former U.S. Postal Service employee in Billings, Montana, has pleaded guilty to theft after being accused of stealing mail. The case came to light when Zachary Louis Simpson attempted to sell $850 worth of sports cards to a local memorabilia business that had previously tried to ship the cards to another customer, according to U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich.
Simpson, 37, admitted guilt on charges of theft of mail by an employee and now faces up to five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and three years of supervised release. U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided over the plea proceedings. A sentencing date will be determined by U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters at a later time.
The court will consider various factors before determining Simpson's sentence, including the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory considerations. In the meantime, Simpson has been released pending further legal proceedings.
According to court documents presented by the government, between March 27, 2023, and April 3, 2024, Simpson was employed at the Billings postal facility where he sorted packages. He had access to mail during his shifts and allegedly stole packages from the facility for personal gain.
On March 12, 2024, law enforcement was alerted by a sports memorabilia business in Billings after Simpson attempted to sell them sports cards valued at $850 that were meant for another customer. An investigation revealed that these packages had passed through the sorting facility on a day when Simpson was working there.
Further inquiries led law enforcement officers to conduct a search at Simpson’s residence where they discovered dozens of empty packages addressed to other people among his trash as well as more than 100 additional empty packages inside his home not addressed to him. Authorities also recovered over 10,000 sports trading cards and related memorabilia.
Victims whose packages were found in Simpson's possession were contacted by the Postal Service; many reported their items never reached their intended destinations.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office with investigative efforts conducted by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General alongside assistance from the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.