Postal carrier steals $40,000 in goods from mail

Authorities say contract carrier Donnie Gene Fields, 38, of Loudon took nearly $41,000 worth of knives, collectible coins and gift cards from the mail while ferrying packages between East Tennessee post offices in Newport, Dandridge, Kodak and Knoxville.

He pleaded guilty to federal charges of mail theft Monday in U.S. District Court and will face a five-year maximum prison term at sentencing Dec. 5.

One of those coin packages contained an electronic tracking device that postal inspectors used to follow him during a sting operation in December 2004, wrote Postal Inspector Dennis Hitzing, the lead investigator.

“While driving westbound on Interstate 40 into Knoxville, inspectors observed Fields driving very erratically,” Smith wrote.

They discovered Fields was having trouble driving because he was also opening packages, including the inspectors’ “test” package, according to Smith.

The investigation began in June 2004 after customers complained they weren’t getting their packages. Fields became a suspect when he was spotted on video surveillance cameras at two Wal-Mart stores using a gift card stolen from the mail.

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Information from: The Knoxville News Sentinel, http://www.knoxnews.com