Brandon Wilson, 27, of Buffalo, was hired to be a city carrier assistant, originally assigned to the post office in West Seneca, in 2019. He frequently works out of post offices in the city of Buffalo such as the Westside Station, Eastside Station, Central Park Station and Cheektowaga.

This past Tuesday evening, Wilson was stopped by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Peace Bridge.

As part of a standard sweep, the complaint says Wilson opened the trunk of his car, which revealed a mail bin containing numerous pieces of mail.

CBP officers said they found USPS uniform items and badge bearing Wilson’s name.

The complaint says Wilson told officers the mail belonged to him and his mother, but he could not account for additional names on the pieces of mail.

During this time, the complaint says Wilson told officers he intended to deliver the mail, but forgot to return it to the post office.

Included in the pieces of mail were absentee ballots, more than 100 political mailings, and hundreds of first class and standard mailings. In all, it added up to 813 pieces of mail, and the majority were meant for the 14215 zip code. Others destinations were 14227, 14211 and 14214.

According to the complaint, Wilson began placing mail into his car in September.

The complaint says he denied discarding mail or stealing greeting cards, cash or checks from his delivery route. He also denied having knowledge of the absentee ballots, the document says.

The charge of delay or destruction of mail against Wilson could lead to a five-year prison sentence if he’s convicted. Wilson could also be forced to pay a $250,000 fine.

The Postal Service has put him on emergency placement, off-duty without pay. The USPS Office of the Inspector General sent the following statement to News 4;

On November 5^th, 2020, United States Postal Service employee Brandon Wilson was arrested by Special Agents of the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General (USPS OIG), and charged by Federal Criminal Complaint in the Western District of New York, with violation of Title 18, United States Code 1703, Delay or Obstruction of Mail. The United States Postal Service is in the process of placing Wilson on “Emergency Placement”.

The vast majority of the United States Postal Service’s over five hundred thousand employees are committed to ensuring the sanctity of the United States Mail.

To report crimes or serious misconduct by USPS employees, contactwww.uspsoig.govor 888-USPS-OIG