U.S. Postal carrier videotaped dumping mail into a ditch

A United States Postal Service mail carrier is accused of dumping residents’ mail into a ditch along Longview Walk in DeKalb County, Channel 2 Action News reported.

Kellie Campbell, the homeowners association president for the Decatur subdivision, said she recorded the postal worker walking near a fence and dumping several bins of mail there.

“I sat there and recorded for about five minutes and he continued to just grab more mail and continued just to toss it over the fence,” she told Channel 2.

It’s estimated there may be thousands of letters scattered near the ditch, according to the news station.

“It’s just so uncalled for to take somebody’s personal mail and just discard it like that,” resident Theresa Williams told Channel 2.

Campbell said she called the U.S. Postal Service, which went to the location to investigate. It took five workers a few hours to give residents their mail.

“You have business statements, bank statements, very important mail that people are looking for and probably waiting for,” she said.

Officials did not release the name of the accused mail carrier, who works part time for the company, but said in a statement to Channel 2: “The Postal Service condemns, in the strongest possible sense, behavior that jeopardizes the security and sanctity of the U.S. Mail — or threatens to tarnish the reputation and high level of trust that the vast majority of our employees work so hard to uphold. We are investigating this matter.”

No charges have been filed against the mail carrier, but according to the U.S. Government Publishing Office, it is a federal offense to throw away someone's mail and could result in a fine.

Resident Johnnie Lanier said he had been waiting on a check.

“I think that was very disrespectful,” he said.